


Band of Brothers: Season Two

by S_Wags



Series: Band of Brothers [2]
Category: 18th Century CE RPF, American Revolution RPF, Historical RPF, Turn (TV 2014), Turn: Washington's Spies
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, American History, American Revolution, Big Brother!Benjamin, Brotherly Bonding, Brotherly Love, Canon-Typical Violence, Child Soldiers, Childhood Trauma, Coming of Age, Culper Ring, F/M, Found Family, Gen, Growing Up, Historical Inaccuracy, Kid Fic, Kidnapping, PTSD, Puberty, Season Two Retelling, Slow Burn, Torture, but its not the main focus
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-21
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:34:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 34,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27661436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/S_Wags/pseuds/S_Wags
Summary: Picking up a month after the first story ends, 12 year old Levi Tallmadge has been to confined to limit activity and near bed rest in order to heal the musket wound he suffered at the hands of Captain Simcoe. However, after Simcoe becomes Captain of the Queen's Rangers, Levi, Major Hewlett, and the Culper Ring face a whole new host of problems in the new year.In a story filled with suspense, trauma, action, manipulation, brotherly love and bonding, childhood crushes, and second hand embarrassment, sit back and enjoy the ride.
Relationships: Anna Strong & Benjamin Tallmadge, Benjamin Tallmadge/Original Female Character(s), Caleb Brewster & Benjamin Tallmadge, Cicero & OC, Edmund Hewlett/Anna Strong, George Washington & Benjamin Tallmadge, Original Female Character/Original Male Character, Zipporah Strong & OC
Series: Band of Brothers [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1808668
Comments: 21
Kudos: 14





	1. Musket Wounds and Street Fights

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to Season Two!!!! I really hope you enjoy it. I'm about halfway done with the story, and with the holidays coming and semester ending, I should be able to write more. anyway, a couple things I want to point out first. 
> 
> 1) You will notice the Rating increase. I did that for a reason. This story is a lot more serious than Season One, and I address some more intense themes, starting with but not limited to PTSD and puberty. Levi is 12 yr old now, so puberty is going to be a common problem he is facing. I try to address it in the best analytical and least sexual manner as possible(for obvious reasons) if it makes you uncomfortable, just skip those lines. 
> 
> 2) PTSD. That is a common problem as well. Levi has seen and done a lot of shit. It has taken its toll on him. However, I do not have PTSD nor do I know anyone with PTSD. So my writing of it is purely off what I read online. So I hope I did a good job. 
> 
> Anyway, thats IT!!! Please enjoy the story, and KUDOS and COMMENT!!!

__

_“The mark of the immature m_ _an is tha_ _t he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one.” -J.D. Salinger_

~Late September 1777~

Ben hurried up the steps of the white colonial home that was currently being used as headquarters, the pamphlet grasped firmly in his hand, all crinkled and crumpled. He needed to tell Washington, the General needed to know. And as Head of Intelligence, it was Ben’s job to do it. He went straight into General Washington’s office, stopping in front of his desk. Washington patiently set down his quill and looked up at Ben.

“Major?”

“’Thoughts of a Free Man’, this pamphlet is an anonymous attack on your leadership and its circulating in the camp. Look, it begins by laying the loss of Philadelphia at your feet, the middle claims you are inept as commander in chief, _‘the proper methods of atacking beating and conquering the Enemy has never as yet been adapted by the Commander in C—f. That More men will dye this winter then it would have cost lives to have conquered the Enemy last Summer and fall.’_ And it concludes with calling for your exile. It compares you to the demon Ba’al.” Ben tossed the disgusting piece of slander on the desk in front of the impassive General Washington. “There are rumors that Horatio Gates and Charles Lee have both written to Congress to have you removed as the Commander-in-Chief.”

“I requested an intelligence report on the movements of the enemy and you come to me with rumor,” Washington stated stiffly, his eyes hard. Ben internally stumbled, not expecting the harsh response.

“Sir, I see myself as your eyes and your ears against all threats to your leadership, verbal or physical,” Ben explained earnestly, his heart thumping rapidly in his chest.

“Then what do you see and hear in Philadelphia?”

“Uh..Sir, with Philadelphia having just recently been taken, I’ve not had time to cultivate a source there yet,” Ben answered, knowing full well that Washington wasn’t going to like that answer. Washington stood up from his desk chair, slowly, facing Ben head on with his shoulders squared.

“New York, then. You have a person of intelligence in that city, do you not? The advice from whom would provide critical should we move to retake it,” Washington stated, as he walked around his desk to the window, staring out at the men in the yard. Ben’s eyes were glued to his movements. “What is the status of their defenses? I depend on you to enlighten us. Your man, Culpepper and your little brother, on Long Island. What word from them?”

“Well, its…its Culper, sir. And we do have men in the city…”

“The Orphans?” Washington inquired, turning from the window to look at him again, his eyes still hard and strict.

“Ye—yes, the orphans. But the only way to get the information from them, is a rendezvous at this point, and there’s been no way to get into the city. We’re still working on other methods.”

“Work faster. What about Long Island?” Washington asked impatiently as he strode back to his desk, and back to his paperwork.

“Uh…Since my brother was shot, it’s been too dangerous make contact, and he’s most likely still on bed rest.”

“I require a full report on New York before we move camp. You shall engage Culper and….Squirt or recommend to me a new head of intelligence.”

“Ye—yes, sir,” Ben nodded, stumbling over his words, biting his tongue from saying so many things he truly wanted to say…not without getting court martialed, that is.

* * *

Levi was startled awake by his own nightmare, anxiety and fear. He laid beneath his quilt, breathing heavily, trying to remember what he had been dreaming about. The dream alludes him, all he remembered was the warm, stickiness of blood and the smell of gunpowder. His morning erection sat heavily and uncomfortably on his stomach, causing the obvious tent in the quilt to rise and fall with his breaths. That had been happening more frequently lately. As a child, it was rare. But as he grew, waking up with an erection was happening nearly every morning. He wished his father or brothers were there so he could talk to them about it. Levi slowly reached down and did the only thing he could ease the discomfort, he started to palm his erection. Of course at that moment, his bedroom door banged opened and Zipporah strolled right in, smile on her face, completely ignorant to the situation as she went right to the window and pulled back the drapes, letting in the early morning light.

“Rise and shine, young man,” Zipporah greeted, huge smile on her face as the bright morning light lit up the dark room.

“Shut the drapes,” Levi groaned, immediately flipping over onto his stomach, his erection now wedged awkwardly and uncomfortably between the bed and his stomach. But as long as Zipporah didn’t see….

“Sorry, Levi, no can do. It’s time to get up, the day’s wasting away. We gotta change your bandage anyway. So flip back over,” she told him as she sat on the edge of his bed, giving him a nudge.

“Can you just give me a moment to put something on?” He asked, looking up at her from where his face was nestled in the pillow.

“Levi, I’ve seen you naked, several times in fact, why are you suddenly so shy about it?” Zipporah inquired, gripping his shoulder.

“Well where’s the rush to see my leg? I’m sure a few more minutes won’t hurt,” Levi snapped back, as he shrugged off her hands.

“We don’t want to let it sit in a dirty bandage, Levi,” Zipporah said sternly, trying to put on her mom voice, figuring he was just being a difficult pre-teen boy. “You know this as well as I do.”

Zipporah gripped his shoulder again and pushed him over onto his back. Immediately, both their eyes were drawn to the small tent beneath the quilt. Despite the quilt already covering his morning erection, Levi’s hands instantly went to cover his cock, at the same time Zipporah bolted up from the bed.

“I am…going to forget about all of this,” Zipporah said slowly, gesturing to Levi. “You have ten minutes to be downstairs so we can put on a clean bandage. And you can deal with that as you see fit.” She quickly left the room, the door snapping shut behind her.

“Shite,” Levi huffed, slumping back into his bed.

* * *

As Levi’s door snapped close, Zipporah leaned heavily against the wall, letting out a long, deep breath. She should have anticipated this, she really should have. When taking on the maternal role for Levi, which she was thrilled about, she really was, puberty….somehow puberty had completely slipped her mind. She never really paid attention when Selah was going through it, but truly, what sister does?

Taking one more deep breath, Zipporah straighten up off the wall, brushed off her skirts, the very image of poise and elegance, before walking downstairs to the kitchens.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Levi limped downstairs in a pair of one legged breeches, his morning erection now, thankfully, gone. Zipporah looked up at him as he entered the kitchen and pulled out a chair for him.

“Take a seat, kiddo. Let’s look at that leg,” she sat down in the chair across from him. Levi plopped himself in the chair, and stuck his leg out for her to look at. Zipporah peeled off the soiled bandages and took a close look at his stitches.

“They look good. No popped stitches, no blood or pus or oozing, completely dry. Another day or two, and you can probably take the bandages off,” Zipporah told him, as she cut a new strip of bandage and started wrapping it around his leg.

“Does this mean I’m off bedrest?” Levi asked eagerly. Zipporah was quiet for a moment as she thought.

“You can move around for short periods of time, no strenuous activity, and don’t put full weight on that leg. We don’t want you to pop your stitches. I’ll get a crutch from Dr. Mabbs,” she decided, as Levi nodded, slightly dejected. Zipporah quickly prepared a small bowl of oatmeal for Levi and set it down in front of him, grabbed her cloak off the hook, and buttoned it up around her shoulders.

“Uh…Zipporah,” Levi called hesitantly, his voice cracking slightly. He played with his oatmeal in front of him, and didn’t look at her. “I’m sorry. About what happened in my bedroom. It was an accident. I…I didn’t…mean for it happen…it just…did…”

“Levi, Levi, shh…shh…” Zipporah stepped forward, placed both her hands his cheeks and forced him to look at him. “I know. You’re forgiven, and it’s forgotten. Now you finish your breakfast, while I go get you a crutch.” Zipporah gave him a quick peck on the nose, then left out the back door, leaving Levi to his own solitude and the creaky silence of the house.

By the time Levi finished his oatmeal, Zipporah had returned, a small wooden T crutch in hand. She unbuttoned and hung up her cloak before handing the crutch to Levi.

“See if that fits alright.” Standing up, Levi took the crutch and stuck it under his armpit. He limped up and down the kitchen, his injured leg lifted off the ground and his right hand tightly gripping the crutch wedged underneath his underarm. The crutch clacked on the wooden, hardwood floor like a peg leg pirate.

“It should work,” Levi told Zipporah as he plopped himself back in the kitchen chair.

“Ok, good. Just use that and keep weight off that leg for a couple weeks. You’re just an active boy, young man, and I don’t want you accidentally hurting yourself,” Zipporah told him, affectionately tapping his chin. Levi smiled shyly.

“I know.” Their attention was drawn to a knock on the door. Zipporah quickly rushed to open it. Standing on the stoop was the old and frail Loretta Brewster, Lucas Brewster’s sister.

“Ms. Brewster! It’s so good to see you, do come in!” Zipporah greeted, opening the door wider.

“Zipporah, sweetie, thank you. How are you doing, sweetheart? Holding up okay?” Loretta asked, as she stepped into the foyer, a small tin of something held tightly in her shaking hands.

“We’re fine, thank you.”

“Auntie Loretta!” Levi shouted excitedly as he limped into the front room on his crutch. Loretta turned away from Zipporah to face Levi, a smile stretched across her lined face.

“Oh, Levi, look at you. You’re almost a man. I remember when my Caleb was your age. Oh boy was he a little firecracker,” Loretta laughed, reminiscing.

“He still is, Auntie,” Levi laughed with her.

“Too right you are,” She chuckled. She held out the small, wrapped tin for them, the tin trembling in her hands. “I figured you youngsters could use a nice meal, so I whipped something up for you two.” She held the tin out with shaky hands to Zipporah. Zipporah took the tin kindly.

“Thank you, Loretta, that’s very sweet of you. We’re very appreciative,” She responded, a sweet smile on her face. Loretta smiled back kindly before turning to Levi.

“Alright, young man,” She said sternly, narrowing her eyes at Levi and cupped his chin. “You be good for Miss Strong. Listen to whatever she tells you, and don’t give her any trouble, you hear me?”

“Yes, Auntie,” Levi groaned, jerking his chin out of her hand and eyes rolling.

“Ok, well, I have business to attend to. But if you youngsters ever need anything, don’t be shy, just give a shout,” she told them, lifting her skirts and hurrying out the door.

“Thank you, Loretta, and if you ever need company, stop on by,” Zipporah shouted out the door after the woman.

“Looks like we have supper,” Levi shrugged with a smile, eliciting a chuckle from Zipporah as well.

* * *

The days continued somewhat like that. Zipporah no longer entered Levi’s room to wake him up in the morning, instead she incessantly knocked on his door until he had no choice but to groan and get up. Honestly, Levi wasn’t quite sure which was worse. After that, Levi came downstairs, and got his bandage changed. But by the third day, Zipporah gave her approval that the bandages could come off. However, Levi was still confined to crutches, and strict activity limit for the near future.

It was on one of these boring days where Levi was at the chessboard in the parlor, Zipporah across from him, his eyes glued to the pieces on the board. Slowly, Levi reached forward and moved his knight. Smirking, Zipporah followed that by moving her bishop forward to take Levi’s knight. Levi groaned, exasperatedly. Their game was interrupted by a short knock at the door.

“I’ll get that, you can try and figure out if there’s anyway you can save yourself in this game,” Zipporah smirked at him as she stood up, mussing his hair as she passed by him to answer the door.

“Hi, Ms. Strong! Is Levi around?”

“He is. Come on in, Cicero,” Zipporah responded, opening the door wider to allow the tavern boy entrance. Cicero rushed over to where Levi was stretched across the parlor couch.

“Hey, Levi. I got some time off, so I was going to go into town and meet up with some fellas. I was wondering if you wanted to come?” Levi immediately shifted his gaze to Zipporah, who was standing in the doorway.

“Can I, Zipporah? Can I go?” He asked eagerly, a hopeful look at his face that Zipporah simply could not turn down. The huge puppy-dog look that all the Tallmadge boys’ seem to possess was going to be the death of her.

“I suppose so. But do not put weight on that leg, young man.” Levi rolled his eyes as he grabbed his crutch and sat up.

“Yes, Zipporah.” Levi got up, stuck the crutch under his arm, and him and Cicero left the house, Levi limping along with wooden clacks. Walking with a crutch was slow going, tiring and tedious, the two boys had to stop and rest three times before they finally reached the village green. When they finally reached the green, Tom was waiting with several Cicero’s friends.

“Hey, Levi, how’re you healing up?” Tom asked, clapping Levi on the shoulder as Levi approached.

“Eh, it’s getting there. I thought you didn’t like the slave boys?” Levi responded, as he slowly sat down on a log. Tom shrugged.

“They aren’t so bad. Plus you were too busy lounging around,” Tom responded, with a smile.

“Oh yes, I was just a grand ol’ time healing from a gun shot wound,” Levi replied sarcastically.  
“We’re going to play marbles, are you two in?” Cicero asked, pulling out a sack of swirly marbles.

“I’m in,” Tom said, stepping towards the marbles circle and pulling out his own bag of marbles.

“I’ll just watch. Getting up and down from the ground is a bit out of my range of movement right now,” Levi stated. Cicero, Tom and the other boys, who’s names Levi learned were James and William, set up their marbles in the circle on the ground and began to play. Levi sat and watched as the boys shot their colorful marbles back and forth across the dirt drawn circle. James turned out to be quite good at the game, and before long, he was beating the other boys. They spent several hours playing marbles, with Levi sitting off to the side making bets on who would win the match.

James had just won another match, and Levi was taking several pounds from Tom, when a large shadow was cast over the lot of them. Levi looked up to see a much larger, older boy looming over them.

“What do you want, Beekman?”

“What are you doing with a bunch of slaves, Tallmadge?” the boy growled, eyes narrowing at the black boys, even as he got up in Levi’s face. Cicero, Will and James immediately started picking up the marbles.

“There’s nothing wrong with them,” Levi answered as he struggled to his feet. “They’re better men than you.”

“What do you know about being a man, Tallmadge?” Beekman snapped, giving Levi a rough shove and nearly knocking him off balance. “Your whole family are traitors!”

“My brother has more knowledge about being a good man in his little finger than you have in your entire body, Beekman!” Levi shouted, his voice cracking, as Cicero sidled up next to him. Levi inclined his head so he could hear what Cicero wanted to say.

“Levi, man, we can’t get involved in this….”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Levi murmured back. “You could get in big trouble. Take Will and James and get outta here. I’ll handle this buffoon.”

“Thanks, Levi,” Cicero responded, clapping Levi on the shoulder and quickly leaving the green with James and Will. Levi returned his attention to Beekman, who was thoroughly annoyed at being ignored for a slave boy. And being called a buffoon.

“I am not going to be insulted by a rebel like yourself, Tallmadge!” Beekman shoved Levi hard again. Tom stood off to the side, watching, reluctant to get involved with the older, bigger boy. Levi shoved back just as hard with his crutch.

“I took a musket ball for everyone in this fucking town, ya moronic git!”

“You were saving your own ass, ya little shite!” Beekman gave him a final shove, and Levi lost his balance, and went tumbling to the ground.

“Levi!” Tom rushed to his side. He looked from Levi’s pained face to the red blossoming across Levi’s thigh. At the sight of the red stain, Beekman looked horrified. He instantly spun on his heel and disappeared across the green.

“We have to get you back home,” Tom said, as he hefted Levi back to his feet, Levi’s arm pulled across his shoulders.

* * *

“How many times have you popped your stitches now?” Zipporah asked with an annoying, knowing, mom look on her face as she settled Levi back in his bed after re-stitching and rewrapping his leg.

“On my leg, none. In total? Umm…I’ve lost count,” Levi responded, pulling himself up to sit against the headboard.

“Well, you, young man, are on bedrest for the foreseeable future, understood?” Zipporah said sternly, her tone leaving no room for arguments.

“Yes, Zipporah,” Levi groaned. Barely out of prison, and he’s thrown right back in.

“Alright, call if you need me,” And with that, Zipporah left Levi to the solitude of his room.

The days on bedrest were long and boring. Zipporah brought meals up for Levi in bed, she even brought up the chess board so they could continue their chess match, she always won though. She brought up lots of books for him to read, and would frequently read quietly with him.

It was during one of their quiet reading days, when they were interrupted by a knock on the front door downstairs. Zipporah set down her book on Levi’s bed side table.

“I got it. It’s probably Tom or Cicero,” she said as she left the room. Levi was surprised when Zipporah returned, to see Major Hewlett sheepishly following her.

“I’ll be right outside for when you’re done,” Zipporah told them, before she hesitantly left the room and Hewlett sat down in the chair she just vacated. Clearly, after everything, she was hesitant to leave him alone with the ‘enemy’.

“Major Hewlett, sir, what do I owe the pleasure?” Levi asked, pulling himself up against the headboard. Hewlett was silent for several moments before speaking.

“I’m sorry, Levi, for not coming earlier. I would be lying if I didn’t say it was because I felt guilty and responsible for your injury,” Hewlett explained, as his ashamed eyes avoided looking at Levi.

“Why? I was the one taunting Simcoe. And trust me, I knew better. It was just so much fun. But I learned my lesson,” Levi shrugged, completely nonplussed at his gunshot wound or his actions leading up to it.

“I should have seen Captain Simcoe’s instability. I should have seen the danger he possessed. And for that, I am truly sorry,” Hewlett apologized earnestly, finally looking at Levi directly. “I also must apologize for falsely accusing your father. We should have listened to you, for you were correct. I just hope you can forgive me….and if so, would you like to continue to be my valet?” Levi was silent for several minutes as he thought over Major Hewlett’s words. And partially to let Hewlett stew with anxiety as he waited for Levi’s answer. Hewlett wasn’t a bad guy, not at all. He was just a man stuck in the middle of circumstances out of his control…just like Levi, and Ben, and everyone else. And being his valet did give Levi an in with the British, it gave Levi security.

“Thank you for apologizing, Major Hewlett. And I forgive you. My father or brothers would not want me to hold contempt against you for an honest mistake. I will return as your valet on one condition, however,” Levi told him, staring back at him, dead in the eye.

“Yes, yes! Whatever you wish,” Hewlett responded eagerly, wanting to help in anyway he could.

“If I give my opinion or my advice, you listen to it. Or at least, _consider_ it.”

“Levi, that is a very reasonable request. Absolutely,” Hewlett smiled at him. “Now, you heal up and I will see you in a couple weeks.” With that, Hewlett left the room, leaving Zipporah to replace his spot in the empty chair beside Levi’s bed and allowing them to go back to their reading.


	2. All's Fair in Love and War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi is back at work after getting shot by Simcoe, and he finds out about Abraham's trip to York City. Him and Major Hewlett go to White Hall to check on the status of a package that Hewlett is waiting on, leading to a teasing repartee between the Major and younger boy. And Zipporah gets a JOB!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are, Chapter TWO!!! I hope you guys really enjoyed Chapter One, I sure did. I feel like my writing is better this Season, what do you think? 
> 
> Anyway, be sure to KUDOS and COMMENT!!!!!!!!

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_And when you love someone you don't always see them realistically. -P. C. Cast_

It wasn’t until October that Levi was off bedrest and back to working for Major Hewlett. He still had a limp when he walked, and according to Zipporah, he might always limp. It was one of his first days back, that he heard about Abraham’s trip to York City.

“Wait, Abe is going to York City?” Levi inquired, looking up from his work.

“Yes, he’s going back to law school,” Richard Woodhull answered, barely looking up from his papers.

“Really? Interesting,” Levi murmured to himself, and went back to his work, preoccupied with his thoughts. That was terribly…unlike Abraham. Thomas was the one to follow in his father’s footsteps, not Abraham. Abraham was the Woodhull family black sheep. It wasn’t until after Levi was dismissed by Major Hewlett that evening that he was able to find Abraham.

Abraham was walking towards his wagon when Levi entered the town green. He quietly slinked past the buildings towards Abraham. He sidled up next to the wagon and grabbed Abe’s shirt at the chest. Pulling Abe into the alley of the closest building, he slammed Abe’s back up against the wall.

“Whoa, Levi, what the hell?” Abe exclaimed, shoving Levi’s hand off his chest.

“We need to talk. You’re going to York City, right?” Levi asked, taking a step back.

“Yeah…..”Abe answered hesitantly and unsurely.

“Alright, remember I mentioned that I managed to get a man in the city? Well you need to make contact with him, he should have information for you,” Levi informed him, glancing quickly over his shoulder to make sure no one was nearby. “His name is Henry, he lives in the West Ward, in the burned out section by Holy Ground. He’s 13, short, with short brown hair. You will pay him for his information beforehand.”

“Pay him? With what money? I’m a farmer without any crops,” Abe responded, annoyed. Levi dug around in his pocket and pulled out several coins.

“With these. Don’t spend it on something else, I’ll know. Henry won’t give you the information without payment, and I expect information when you get back. You pay him, he will ask ‘King George is a?’, and you answer ‘A Pansy Ass Lobcock.’”

“Not exactly being subtle with that passcode,” Abe commented as he took the coins out of Levi’s hand.

“You’re not one to talk about subtly, Abe,” Levi responded as he turned away from Abe, walked back out of the alley, and back into town.

* * *

The next day, as the midday sun was high in the sky, Levi gathered the papers into his arms, holding onto them tightly as he followed Major Hewlett out of the church. They made their way through town, past the busy citizens, and back to White Hall. Both he and Major Hewlett nodded in greeting at the guards standing outside the front door as they entered White Hall. Hewlett stopped as he spotted Aberdeen polishing a cabinet in the foyer.

“Ah, Aberdeen! I’m expecting a package, a rather large one. Has it arrived yet?”

“I don’t believe so, sir. You might want to ask Mrs. Woodhull, though. She’s in the parlor with her embroidery circle,” Aberdeen told them, pausing slightly in her work.

“Thank you, Aberdeen,” Hewlett responded, entering the parlor, Levi on the heels. “Good day, ladies.” Sitting in a circle was Mary, Anna, three women Levi didn’t know that well, and at the end, Judith. As he entered the room, she immediately blushed and gave him a small wave.

“Hi, Levi,” she mumbled shyly, causing some of the ladies to giggle. Levi failed to come up with a response, as his mouth was a dry as a desert, so he simply waved causing the papers in arms to fall to the floor. The ladies giggled even harder and Judith blushed even redder as Levi hastily scrambled to gather up the papers.

“Um…Mary,” Hewlett interrupted, glancing from Levi to the girl. “Has there been a delivery of a package for me?”

“What type of package?” Mary asked, looking up from her embroidery, her face impressively impassive. Levi kept his gaze averted as he crouched on the ground, shuffling the papers together back into a manageable pile. Girls…why did girls make things so difficult?

“I’ve been eagerly awaiting the delivery of an item from London by way of New York. It would be quite heavy,” He explained, his hands wringing together. Levi finally rose from the ground, the papers back in his arms.

“Not yet, but I will keep an eye out for it,” Mary told him. Levi fidgeted as Judith continued to glance at him shyly, her face getting redder, if that was even possible. A flush started to creep up the back of Levi’s neck as well.

“Thank you,” Hewlett gave a small bow. He turned his gaze from Mary to Anna, his hands wringing together again nervously, and his feet shuffling on the ground. “And I am very pleased to see you among this august company, Mrs. Strong.”

“Thank you, Major,” Anna responded politely. “I’m very pleased to be here. I trust Levi is behaving himself?” Anna turned her eyes over to Levi sternly. Levi rolled his eyes dramatically, causing Judith to giggle loudly.

“Yes, Annie. I’ve been on my best behavior,” he groaned. Of course Annie would Mom him. The ladies giggling softly, with Judith failing to stifle her giggle behind her hand.

“He has, Mrs. Strong. Levi has been a very well-mannered young man,” Hewlett smiled almost proudly over at Levi.

“Well…that’s a first,” Anna responded sassily. Levi put a hand on his chest, dramatically insulted.

“Annie, that hurt. Right in the heart.” The ladies laughed even more at his antics, and their familiarity with each other.

“We’ve taken up enough of your time. It was lovely seeing you, Mrs. Strong. Come, Levi,” Hewlett said, turning and leaving the parlor.

“Bye, Levi!” Judith said eagerly, waving from her spot at the end of the circle, her cheeks blossoming red.

“Uh…yeah. Bye, Judith,” Levi responded hesitantly and awkwardly, a flush heating up the back of his neck, before turning to Anna, a genuine smile spreading across his face. “Bye, Annie. Have fun sewing.” He followed Hewlett out of the parlor to the stairs.

“So…. what was that about?” Levi asked as he followed Hewlett up the stairs.

“I don’t know what you mean,” Hewlett played ignorant, as they entered his room and office. Levi rolled his eyes and set the papers he was holding down on the desk. How stupid did Hewlett think he was?

“Sure, you do. You were not-so-subtly flirting with Annie. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen you that nervous and fidgety,” Levi responded, fighting to hold back a grin.

“What about you, Mr. Tallmadge? Who was that lovely young lady down there?” Hewlett fired back, smirking slightly. Immediately, Levi’s face burned red in embarrassment, the grin slipping off his face.

“She’s no one. Just a girl,” Levi evaded, looking everywhere but at Hewlett, scuffing his shoes on the wood floor.

“Really? Because she looked like she was sweet on you,” Hewlett smiled, enjoying his repartee with Levi. Then it came crashing down.

“You mean like you are sweet on Anna?” Levi smirked up at Hewlett. The smile visibly dropped from Hewlett’s face.

“Back to work, Mr. Tallmadge,” He responded, any joviality gone from his voice at being called out, as he pulled a Cardan Grille from his desk and took a seat.

* * *

Abraham slinked his way towards the West Ward and the West Wharf. As he crossed Broadway, the buildings changed from beautiful brownstones and townhouses to burned out husks and shells of what used to be there. Abe picked his way through the black skeletons, looking in each empty lot for the orphaned children Levi told him about. In each lot he passed, homeless men, women and prostitutes were huddled around fires and under holey blankets. Every once in a while, the sounds of sex could be heard resonating from the within empty lots. As Abe got closer to the wharf, he passed an empty lot that had a tarp tied between the exposed beams of the house, and did a quick double take. Standing in a circle around a fire, were several children in tattered clothes. Abe approached the children.

“Excuse me,” Abe called, gathering the children’s attention. “I’m looking for Henry.” A teenage boy with a tattered hat and coat stepped forward, placing himself between the younger children and Abe.

“Who’s asking?” He asked harshly.

“My name’s Abraham, you might know my acquaintance, Levi,” Abe told him, stepping forward slowly. “He told me you would have information for us.”

“I do,” Henry answered cautiously, eyeing Abe up and down. “King George is a…what?” Abe sighed deeply in resignation. He really didn’t want to say this out loud.

“A Pansy Ass Lobcock.” Several of the children behind Henry started laughing, until Henry shot a stern glare their way, in which they immediately sobered. Henry held out his hand.

“Levi said I’d be compensated,” Henry gestured for coin, his eyebrows raised. Abe dug through his pockets and pulled out several coins, handing them to Henry.

“Ok, New York has five forts. Fort Washington in the north, Fort Lee across the river in Jersey, Fort Constitution up near West Point, Fort Independence up by Westchester, and Fort George along the Battery. Each fort can hold upwards to 3000 soldiers, and have roughly 50 cannons.” Abe was stunned into silence for a moment, his face slack with shock. Finally, he shook himself back to reality.

“Where’d you get this information? It’s not like you can just walk right into a British fort,” Abe asked, crossing his arms haughtily.

“Maybe _you_ can’t, but _we_ can. Nobody takes notice of a couple of kids. Just say we have a message for an officer or something and nobody notices,” Henry shrugged. “Continuing on. Tell whoever you tell, Fort Constitution is probably still under Patriot control, given that its right across the river from West Point. But the ones they need to take notice of are Fort Washington and Fort Lee. The forts straddle both sides of the Hudson River. If they have plans to retake York City, or even try and sail out to sea from inner New York, ideally, they’re have to take out those two forts.” Abe rubbed his chin thoughtfully before looking up at Henry.

“This has been great information, thanks, Henry.” As Abe turned to leave, Henry cleared his throat loudly, his hand held out and beckoning. Abe sighed, resigned, his hand digging around his pocket. He pulled out several more coins and slapped them into Henry’s hand, then spun around to leave the blazed and blackened West Ward, annoyed.

* * *

Levi trudged home after a long day assisting Major Hewlett, the setting sun painting the sky at his back all colors of pink, red and orange. He loudly stomped up the steps, and into his home, the oak door snapping shut behind him.

“Zipporah! I’m home!” He shouted, as he kicked off his black buckle shoes. Zipporah stepped out from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron.

“Excellent, I’m almost done with dinner. Set the table while I finish up, would you?” Zipporah told him, as she turned around and went back into the kitchen.

“Yes, ma’am,” Levi saluted, as he went to the china cabinet in the dining room and pulled out two sets of china and silverware. He placed one set of china and silverware at the head of the table, and the other set to the right of it. Zipporah came out with a steaming pot of stew, and a loaf of warm bread wrapped in a warm towel. She set the food on the table, and took a seat at the head of the table while Levi sat down to the right of her. Zipporah held her hand out towards Levi and conspicuously cleared her throat. Levi sighed and reluctantly grasped her hand. They both closed their eyes.

“Bless us, O Lord, and these Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty. Through Christ our Lord,” Zipporah recited.

“Great! Let’s eat!” Levi exclaimed, reaching towards the ladle in the stew pot. Just as he grasped the handle, a knock came at the front door, causing Levi to groan dramatically.

“You eat, Levi, I’ll get the door,” Zipporah told him, standing up.

“You’re the best, Zipporah,” Levi smiled as he dumped a spoonful of stew into the bowl in front of him. He really was starving.

Zipporah rushed over to answer the front door. Standing on the stoop, was old Miss Loretta Brewster.

“Loretta! What a pleasant surprise! We were just sitting down to dinner, why don’t you join us?” Zipporah exclaimed, as she opened the door wider to allow Loretta to enter.

“Why thank you, dearie. What a kind offer,” Loretta responded as Levi rounded the corner. As he spotted Loretta, a huge smile split across his face.

“Auntie Loretta!” Levi rushed forward and gave Loretta a big, but gentle, hug. Loretta responded the hug with equal fervor.

“How are you, child?” she asked, as she let go, glancing him up and down.

“I’m good. Only popped my stitches once,” Levi smiled cheekily, giving his bum leg a little shake, causing Loretta and Zipporah to laugh. Zipporah put a hand on Levi’s shoulder, making him look up at her.

“If once is all we can hope for, then we really need to rethink our priorities,” She chuckled, with Loretta chuckling along with her. Levi huffed grumpily. “Why don’t you go set a place for Loretta?”

“Sure thing!” Levi grinned as he took off for the dining room.

“Oh, I couldn’t possibly impose,” Loretta stated. Zipporah gripped Loretta’s arm and started leading her to the dining room.

“Don’t be silly! You wouldn’t be imposing, the more the merrier,” she said enthusiastically. When they reached the dining room, Levi had set a place across from him at the table and was sitting down, patiently waiting for them. Loretta took a seat at the empty place setting, as Zipporah sat back down at her seat.

“Actually, I came to talk with you, Zipporah, darling,” Loretta said as she spooned some stew into the bowl in front of her, her hand shaking violently. Levi took a big bite of stew, watching and listening.

“Me? About what?” Zipporah asked, surprised as she too spooned some stew into her bowl. Levi sat frozen in equal surprise, glancing between Zipporah and Loretta, his spoon dangling from his mouth. 

“Since Lucas has left, the orchard has been too much to manage on my own. It was a lot to handle when it was both of us old buffers, but now that it’s just me, I’m overwhelmed,” Loretta admitted, stopping to take a shaky bite of stew. “I was hoping…well, proposing that maybe you wouldn’t mind helping me around the orchard? I’d pay you, of course.” Both Levi and Zipporah were silent for several moments. Levi’s eyes kept glancing between the two ladies as he took the spoon out of his mouth.

“Loretta, I wouldn’t mind at all,” Zipporah finally replied, a smile gracing her face. “I would love help you with the orchard.”

“Excellent! Thank you so much, sweetheart, I really appreciate you helping an old gal out,” Loretta told Zipporah earnestly.

“Oh, don’t even think about on it. Anyway, I have to start pulling my weight around here. Levi’s been showing me up,” Zipporah smirked, winking at Loretta as Levi gasped dramatically, acting insulted. Loretta chuckled at their antics.

“Zipporah! I am the man of the house now, that’s my job!”

“Are you now?” She inquired, eyebrow raised disbelievingly. Loretta simply ate her stew quietly as she watched them.

“Yes!” Levi exclaimed as his voice cracked shrilly, causing his face to turn bright red and Zipporah and Loretta to laugh. “Oh, shut up, both of you.” Embarrassed, he ducked his head and dived back into his stew bowl.

Dinner progressed smoothly and quietly after that. Zipporah and Loretta chatted as they ate, while Levi ate his stew in silence, still thoroughly embarrassed at his voice cracking. Once they were finished, Levi took the china to the kitchen and set it on the counter to be washed before saying goodbye to Loretta, then went to the front door where Loretta and Zipporah were chatting. The three said their goodbyes, and Levi gave Loretta a big hug.

“I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow at the orchard, Zipporah,” Loretta told her with a smile before walking back out into the now pitch black night.


	3. Whaleboat Men

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi goes snooping in places he shouldn't be, Benjamin tries to frame Charles Lee and has a chat with a wounded Benedict Arnold, and Setauket is visited by raiders.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is a bit late, but I've been in the middle of finals and working on stuff for 12 Days of Turn, but I'm posting now and that's what matters!!!  
> This is a cool chapter, I sort of get into a bit of history that Turn conveniently left out. So I really hope you enjoy it. Don't forget to leave a KUDOS or COMMENT.  
> you can also find me on Tumblr @culper-spymaster.

__

_“Man is not what he thinks he is, he is what he hides.” ―_ _André Malraux_

Levi was at the church, sitting at a desk, responding to correspondence when Major Hewlett dropped a leatherbound book in front of him. He paused, somewhat startled at the sudden intrusion after hours of working individually in silence.

“What’s this?” He asked, picking up the leatherbound book and opening it. The pages were completely filled with Hewlett’s flowy handwriting.

“I need you to transcribe it. It’s a report from Abraham Woodhull from his trip to New York,” Major Hewlett told Levi as he sat back at his desk. Levi scanned through the pages quickly.

“This doesn’t look like he was studying….” He could easily and quickly pick out words like ‘Tories’ and ‘Patriots’ and ‘Sons of Liberty’.

“That’s because he’s not. Studying law is just a cover. Abraham is actually in York City tracking down a group of radical Patriot sympathizers,” Hewlett answered, not looking up from his work. Levi flipped through the book more slowly, reading the pages more carefully only to be interrupted by Hewlett. “Transcribe it, please, Mr. Tallmadge.”

It wasn’t until twilight that Levi was able to track Abe down. He found him beneath the ruins of his burned down house, in his old root cellar. Levi descended the cellar just as Abe was letting out a relieved sigh and lowering his pistol from where it was pointed directly at Levi.

“I like what you did with the place. Little shabby, though,” Levi commented nonchalantly as he looked around the small space. There was a desk with a candle and mirror along one of the dirt dug walls, and bookshelves along the other two.

“How’d you find me, Levi?” Abe asked brusquely, setting his pistol on the desk and plopping down on the bench. 

“Wasn’t that difficult. Where was the one place you’d least likely be?” Levi replied, looking around the cellar one last time before turning his ocean blue gaze to Abe. “Most people wouldn’t return to the place they were robbed, assaulted, and lost everything they worked towards. Everything you care about is at White Hall, so logically, there is no reason for you to be here. And no one would look for you here.”

“Why are you here?” Abe asked pointedly, turning back to his desk. Seeing that there was no beating around the bush, Levi wasn’t even going to try and cut straight to the point.

“You’re acting as a double agent for Hewlett in New York? Are you fucking crazy?”

“Oh, that’s rich, Levi! You’re the one who asked me to get information from your pal, Henry,” Abe replied, standing up, and turning towards Levi.

“Don’t turn this around on me, Abraham. I thought you were actually going to law school. That wouldn’t have stopped me from asking, of course. How the hell do you think you’re going to pull this off? Without getting caught, that is. Even I know, that you have too many eggs in your basket, buddy,” Levi told him, crossing his arms over his chest firmly and stubbornly. The man could barely handle his own identity on a good day, they could just say fuck it if everything hinged on Abe trying to manage multitask.

“Let me worry about that, why don’t you?” Abe responded just as stubbornly as Levi was.

“Fine,” Levi conceded, throwing his arms up in frustration. “What did Henry tell you?”

“I already sent everything to Ben,” Abe deflected, still staring Levi down with his arms crossed.

“Doesn’t mean I don’t want to know,” Levi reiterated firmly, restraining to roll his eyes. Abe was clearly losing patience with Levi as well. Was it only Levi that made Abe so impatient, or was he this impatient with Sprout too?

“Henry was a good call,” He answered reluctantly. “He told me about five forts, four of which are under British control. He managed to give approximate numbers of soldiers and cannons as well, plus strategic locations of the most important ones.” Levi was silent for a moment.

“I had a good feeling about him,” he said simply and started to turn and leave the cellar. He was halfway up the stairs when he turned back to face Abe. “By the way, Abe, you’re not very threatening. I’m almost as tall as you and I’m only twelve.” With that last word, Levi turned back around and disappeared out the cellar doors.

* * *

Benjamin stood across from George Washington, a large desk covered with maps and papers separating them in the small room. Washington held a letter in his hand, which he read animatedly.

“Our Culper Ring is alive and well. Two frigates, the 32 gun Alarm and 28 gun Sybil moored at Peck’s Slip,” Washington read excitedly, as he moved two mini ship figurines across the map. Ben glanced from Washington, to the small slip of intelligence on the table and back. “Along with the 18 gun sloop Tobago. The whole of the king’s troops including outposts does not exceed 3500 men. When fully manned, the Forts Washington, Lee and George can house 3000 soldiers and 50 cannons. Are these numbers precise?”

“Approximate. He had to transcribe from memory after losing the egg. Mr. Sackett is working on better means of encryption,” Ben told him slightly distractedly.

“The egg?”

“It’s detailed in the report, sir,” Ben replied, a little impatiently.

“It’s wonderfully detailed,” Washington stated, breathlessly and excited. “Tell Mr. Culper I eagerly await his next report. And impress upon him that time is of the essence.”

“Ye—yes, sir. And what of the other intelligence?” Ben pressed, even more impatiently, gesturing to the small slip of paper on the table.

“It’s unclear, inconclusive,” Washington responded breezily and distracted. “Eight ships anchored in the lower North River…”

“I beg your pardon, sir, but this is clear as day. ‘General Lee a Traitor,’” Ben interrupted, stepping towards Washington and picking up the small slip of intelligence, gesturing to it. “And this came direct from enemy headquarters, from the house of their head of intelligence.”

“No, it comes from a source I have not heard of before today,” Washington countered, turning and facing Ben, head on, as he set down the letter. “The message is four words in length, lack context, is unverified, and so cannot be trusted.”

“Sir, the source is the former housemaid of our signal agent in Setauket. She’s undercover, it’s possible that’s all she had time to write.”

“The spirits of the men are lifted after our victory at Saratoga,” Washington stated, hopeful. “Now is not the time to disparage a fellow general.”

“Yes, sir,” Ben replied shortly, then turned on his heel and exited the colonial home brusquely.

* * *

It was late. Well past dusk. The sun could just barely be seen on the horizon, turning the sky orange, pink and red, then fading to blue, purple and black. Levi was supposed to be in bed by now, and if Zipporah found out he had snuck out, he was going to be in so much trouble. He crept across the fields, past the crispy skeleton of the Woodhull farmstead, towards the cellar entrance. He pulled open the cellar doors and descended into the pitch black cellar. It was so dark that Levi couldn’t see where he was stepping, or his hand in front of him. He couldn’t see the desk he knew was there, or the bookshelves. He tentatively and slowly reached the bottom of the stairs, his hand blindly reaching out to feel for the wall. He fumbled in his pocket for the pack of matches he had. It took him several strikes before he could light a match, but finally, a bright, happy little flame flickered at the tip of the match.

Now that he could somewhat see, Levi inched his way towards the desk. Sitting on the desk, was a tall taper. Levi held the match up to the taper, lighting the wick. Light flooded the small cellar, casting flickering shadows into the dark corners. Levi shook out the flame on the match and tossed the piece of wood aside.

“Ok, Abraham, what are you hiding?” He muttered to himself, taking a look around the small space. He went to the desk, and started inspecting and shifting the articles and knick-knacks laying about on its surface. As he looked around Abe’s workspace, one particular object grabbed his attention.

He leaned forward and picked up the leather gauntlet arm band. Taking a closer look, there was a pocket on the inside of the gauntlet holding a thin, stiletto blade.

“Huh,” Levi huffed, sliding the gauntlet onto his arm and tightening it. “Didn’t peg you for being this smart, Abe.” Once on, he turned back to the desk.

Levi picked through the eggs, alum powder and vinegar that cluttered the desktop. Some of the eggs were raw, some were hard boiled, some had their shells intact, others had their shells picked off and words were clearly visible on the rubbery insides of the egg. Levi picked up one of the hard boiled eggs that were half shelled, with brown writing peeking through the breaks in the shell.

“Clever, very clever,” Levi muttered to himself, inspecting the egg closely then setting it back on the desk. Littered amongst the eggs, bullets and half bullets, all hollow and just large enough to hold a small slip of folded paper. Levi started to drift curiously over to the bookshelves. Being a reader himself, he was intrigued to see what was nestled on the shelves. He saw some familiar titles, like the Bible, Sun Tzu’s Art of War, Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, Homer’s the Odyssey and then some not so familiar titles, like Thoughts on Government by John Adams.

As he perused the bookshelves, a weathered leatherbound book on the bottom row took his interest. He pulled out the book and flipped it open. There were a list of words, listed alphabetically on one page, and next to the words were coordinating numbers, starting at one and going all the way up to 763.

“Well I’ll be damn, Benny. You’re doing Yale proud,” He mused to himself as he flipped through the parchment pages. He was nearly at the end when he was distracted from the book by the sound of a horse’s hooves. Levi’s head snapped up as he heard the sound. He scrambled to close the book and shove it back on the shelf. He quickly blew out the candle and snuck back up the stairs. He peeked his out the cellar door, to see a redcoat on a horse trotting off down the road, through the trees. Levi quickly crept out of the cellar and shut the door behind him, then as quick as could, snuck back past Abe’s old burnt house and back towards town.

* * *

Benjamin strode quickly to Benedict Arnold’s tent, a forged letter to Charles Lee held tightly behind his back. The letter was a trap to get implicate Lee as a traitor. Ben pushed back the flap to Benedict Arnold’s tent, entering the small, cramped space. Sitting in the bed, was a disheveled looking Arnold, his dark brown hair dirty, oily and limp. He wore dirty white, night clothes, and his left leg was held in place by a wooden clamp brace, a hole right through his thigh with nasty purple lines spidering out from the wound. Arnold was scribbling out a letter on his lap, barely looking up as Ben entered his tent.

“Am I interrupting, sir?” Ben asked politely as the tent flap closed behind him, the forged letter held tightly behind his back.

“Not at all. I was merely informing Congress of my resignation,” Arnold told him, as he folded his newly written letter, and sealing it with a red wax stamp. Arnold glanced up at Ben as he put his letter on the side table with his outgoing mail. “The officers’ dinner. You offered me your place at the table.”

“Yes, sir,” Ben perked up eagerly, happy that Arnold remembered. He took a step closer to Arnold’s bed. “Major Benjamin Tallmadge, at your service, sir. We would have met earlier had I not disobeyed my orders. I came here to apologize directly. General Washington sent our company to Ridgefield in support of your campaign but I deviated to Setauket on a rescue mission.”

“And who did you rescue?” Arnold breathed out, looking up at Ben as he readjusted himself.

“My father, sir. I learned that the Tories there meant to hang him.”

“I never would have done that,” Arnold responded, breathing heavily. “But then again, my father was not worth saving.” Arnold started to cough heavily. He reached over to the side table, grabbed a bottle of rum, and took a long swig. A nurse wearing a smock entered his tent, a tray of food in her hands.

“Your dinner, sir,” she informed, setting the tray on the end table. While distracted by Arnold’s coughing fit and his dinner arriving, Ben slipped the forged letter into his outgoing mail pile.

“My brother was actually shot in the same spot as you,” Ben mentioned conversationally.

“Is that so? He in the military as well?” Arnold asked, taking another swig of rum.

“Uh…no. He’s twelve years old. He was held hostage by a Captain in Setauket, and in an effort to escape, was shot in the leg,” Ben explained, shuffling on his feet, his hands behind his back. His answer caused Arnold to look up at him.

“He’s only a little older than my oldest. Little Dickie is nine. Your brother sounds like a true soldier, a real fighter,” Arnold complimented.

“He is, sir,” Ben answered, a small smile gracing his face.

“Hopefully he’s in better shape than myself,” Arnold grunted, gesturing to his infected leg bound up in the wooden brace.

“I wouldn’t know, sir,” Ben replied awkwardly and sadly. His voice and eyes got distant as he thought back on that day in Setauket several months ago. “Last time I saw him….he had just been shot. A clean through and through, thank the heavens. My Father’s girlfriend Zipporah, and my friend Anna were cleaning the wound when we left. Unfortunately, Setauket is British controlled so I can’t go there and check in on him. But I don’t have much information on how well he healed.” After a moment, Ben’s consciousness returned to the tent and mentally shook himself back to awareness. Arnold sat there, watching him closely as a courier entered the tent and took the letters from the side table.

“I am sorry for that, Major Tallmadge. I hope someday I get to meet the brave and valiant young man in person,” Arnold told Ben, sitting up further in his bed.

“Thank you, sir. I’m sure he’d love to meet you as well,” Ben replied earnestly.

“Anyway, your apology is not accepted, Major, because you did nothing wrong,” Arnold informed, face serious and brow furrowed. “You disobeyed Washington to save your own father. And your brother. We do what is right and we live with the consequences. And what you did was right.”

* * *

Levi was in the midst of a particularly vivid nightmare, his arms and legs all tangled up in the sheets as he twisted and turned, when Zipporah was rapidly shaking him awake.

“Levi! Levi, wake up! We have to go!” Levi groggily opened his blurry eyes, taking in Zipporah who was standing over him in nothing but a nightgown and robe, a terrified look on her face.

“What? What’s….going on?” Levi questioned sleepily and confused, as he reached blindly across the bed for a shirt.

“The Whaleboat Men are here, we have to go! We have to hide!” Zipporah told him in a rush, tugging on his arm. Still half asleep, the words barely registered in Levi’s mind.

“Whaleboat Men? You mean, Caleb?” He mumbled groggily as he pulled the shirt over his head and swung his legs out of bed.

“No, Levi. The Whaleboat Men. The privateers. They’re raiding. Come on,” Zipporah explained, pulling the boy from his bed and dragging him from his room. That’s when Levi’s thoughts caught up with him. The Whaleboat Men, the privateers. They were raiding. They were raiding Setauket. Again. That was...that was bad.

Zipporah and Levi thumped down the wooden steps, to the foyer and ran quickly out the front door only to skid to a stop at the sight before them. Stretched out before them, the night skies were alight by several homes that had been lit ablaze. Flames danced from the windows and doors, the roofs were smoking like a cook fire, and several people ran from the homes, screaming high pitched screams as flames streamed from their burning bodies. A dozen or so Whaleboat Men danced around the burning homes, drinking and laughing, tossing their liquor bottles into the flames to watch it explode and sputter.

“That’s….that’s Dr. Mabbs’ house,” Levi stuttered in shock as he watched the roof collapse on one of the houses, causing the flames to billow.

“Come on, we have to hide,” Zipporah told him, grabbing his arm as pulling him around the backside of the house where the root cellar was. She tugged open the doors, and they slammed against the ground with a loud bang. Zipporah gently guided Levi down the cellar steps in front of her, following closely on his heels and closing the doors loudly behind them. As soon as the doors slammed shut, both of them were thrown into pitch black darkness. Levi couldn’t even see his own hand in front of his face. But he knew they couldn’t light and lantern without possibly drawing attention.

Levi felt Zipporah’s hand groping around in the dark for him, so he reached out and grabbed her hand. With his other hand, he felt around for the dirt packed wall, feeling the rough grains under his fingertips. Levi pulled them over to the wall and both of them sank down to the dirt floor. Zipporah pulled Levi to her chest, wrapping her arms maternally and protectively around the boy.

“They killed Dr. Mabbs, didn’t they?” Levi asked, in a small, childish voice, so unlike the confident, experienced, sarcastic preteen that Zipporah was used to.

“Yeah. Yeah, it sure looks like it, squirt,” Zipporah whispered back, squeezing him tighter. Levi looked up into the darkness where he knew her face to be.

“Who’s gonna take care of us, then? When we get hurt?” He leaned into her as he heard men stomping overhead, plates breaking, laughing voices.

“Dr. Mabbs never took care of you. Anna and I always did. And that’s never going to stop,” she responded earnestly, kissing the top of his head. Both Zipporah and Levi settled against the dirt wall, ready for a long night.


	4. Male Bonding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi doesn't have a lot of male role models, but in a couple of quiet days, he manages to find time with some of his important male role models. And see some beloved family members.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I say it a lot, but its true this time. I LOVE THIS CHAPTER. It was really fun to write, and it was a nice change of pace from the regular chapters.  
> So please BOOKMARK, KUDOS and COMMENT.

_“Some people don’t believe in heroes. But they haven’t met my brother.”_

~1770~

It was a very special day for five-year-old Levi Tallmadge. It was his first day of school. He plodded along next to his father, who was holding his hand tightly, as they made their way to the small, one room schoolhouse. Turning the corner, the schoolhouse came into view, along with all the parents and children waiting out front. Children of various ages were running around playing tag, and hide and seek, as parents chatted while waiting for the teacher to arrive. Levi gripped his father’s hand tighter.

“Who are all those other people, Papa?” Levi asked, looking up at his father.

“Those are your classmates, squirt,” His father told him, walking him closer to the other children. Suddenly, a small girl in a red dress with little pigtails ran up to them.

“Hi! I’m Judy! We’re playing house, do you want to come play?” She asked enthusiastically.

“No! I don’t play with girls!” Levi exclaimed stubbornly. The girl gasped, appalled.

“Fine! I don’t want to play with some stupid boy anyway!” The girl twirled around angrily and stomped off to rejoin her friends.

“Levi! That was very rude,” Nathaniel scolded sternly.

“Girls have cooties. Benny and Sammy told me so,” Levi insisted, looking up at his father earnestly, like everything his older brothers told him was scripture. Nathaniel crouched down so he was eye level with his youngest son.

“First off, never listen to your brothers. Second, you are going to apologize to that girl. No arguments. Understand?”

“Yes, Papa,” Levi sighed dramatically. Standing up, Nathaniel turned Levi in the direction of the other children and gave him a little shove.

“Well, hop to it, then.” In an almost comedic way, the little boy took a deep breath, straightened his shoulders and gathered his courage, and trudged over to where the little girl in pig tails was playing, leaving his father laughing behind him.

* * *

~1777~

Levi tossed and turned restlessly, the covers getting tangled about his legs. It was well past midnight, and stars, planets and constellations were speckling the dark sky outside. But he simply couldn’t sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the flash of a pistol, the boom of a powder keg, the stickiness of blood beneath him, the heat of flames, and the screams of burning people. His breath would start to quicken and he would start to sweat until he opened his eyes again and calmed himself down. Ever since the Whaleboat raid several days ago, sleep was hard to come by and the nightmares were frequent. So instead, he just laid there. He laid in bed with the heaviness of exhaustion weighed down on him.

It was sometime later when he was roused from his doze by a light bobbing past the windows and the sound of leather shoes on gravel. Curious, he tossed the covers off himself, and went to the window. Looking out, he saw Anna with a lantern walking quietly past, towards the Woodhull farmstead.

Immediately, Levi pulled on a pair of breeches and tucked in his shirt, then crept out of the house. He followed Anna’s bobbing lantern through the dark town and shadowy fields, towards the Woodhull home, but he kept his distance. Levi hung back as Anna entered the cellar, but rushed forward upon hearing Anna’s startled shriek. Standing at the top of the cellar steps, he saw the back of his brother’s dark, dirty hair as Ben eagerly embraced Anna. Levi snuck quietly down the stairs, a big grin on his face. Then he jumped. And Ben screamed.

Both Abe and Anna laughed big belly laughs as they watched Ben scream a shocked, startled scream with Levi square on his back, arms tight around Ben’s shoulders, a big grin on Levi’s face. Ben grabbed Levi and spun him around, pulling Levi into a tight hug.

“Ah, ya got me good, squirt! How are you? How’s the leg?” Ben asked, pulling back to take a good look at Levi.

“Good as new!” Levi grinned, giving a hop to show off his leg. “Got a limp, but Zipporah says I’ll always limp. But that’s nothing.”

“Yeah, nothing you can’t handle, you little nightmare,” Ben grinned, tugging Levi into an affectionate one-armed headlock.

“I brought a gift for you, Annie,” Ben said, shifting gears and turning to Anna, smiling and giving her shoulder a fraternal clap as he tugged Levi by his head over to his bag where Levi was finally released. While Ben dug around in his bag for whatever it was he wanted, Anna took that time to get in her annual Levi hug, which Levi responded in kind. Out of his bag, Ben pulled a crude, roughly made wooden boat.

“This is a gift for Abigail,” Ben told Anna, showing her the wooden boat.

“I thought it was a gift for Annie?” Levi commented in the sarcastic way that only 12 year old boys can.

“Shut up, you twerp,” Ben smiled, giving him a light smack on the head, then turning back to Anna and showing her the boat. “So this is made to look like her son made it. But when she handles it, she will discover…this” Ben twisted out the bowsprit, and on the end was a rolled piece of paper, which he took off and unrolled.

“What is it?” Anna asked, leaning around Levi’s head from his place in front of her, for a closer look. Levi leaned forward as well, curious.

“It’s instructions on how to compose her intelligence reports. Washington requires proper protocol and context.”

“Washington sounds like he has a stick up his ass,” Levi muttered, receiving a death glare and a hard smack from Ben in return.

“Levi!” Anna scolded, then she turned to Ben. “No, Ben. No. Abigail had an arrangement with me. She never volunteered to spy for Washington.”

“Anna, she is vital to us. Right now, she’s our only window into Philadelphia.”

“Cicero will,” Levi interrupted, causing Ben and Anna to both snap over to look at him.

“No,” They said in unison, causing Levi to glance between them curiously.

“Why not? He’s already done it. He helped me blow up the British caravan,” Levi shrugged nonchalantly. Hopefully, he won’t have to relive that anytime soon. Except in his nightmares.

“What?” Ben and Anna stuttered back at Levi in shock. Levi glanced between the two of them curiously again, Abe doing the same from his seat on the bench by his desk.

“Can you two stop that? It’s really weird,” Levi told them. Had they always done that?

“Ok…We’re going to overlook that for now, but I’m not going to forget it,” Ben directed at Levi before turning back to Anna, and holding out the boat to her. “Anna, Abigail sent the information about General Lee. Just send the boat, and let her make the choice for herself. I believe she’ll make the right one.” Anna hesitantly took the wooden boat in her hands.

“I don’t know how I’d get it to her,” Anna admitted to Ben.

“What about Hewlett?” Abe offered from his spot at his desk, turning to look at her with smirk. “He already offered you his friendship. I’m sure he’d send it by send special courier for you.”

“Yeah. He sure would. He’s sweet on you,” Levi smirked devilishly up at Anna, for which she glared at him.

“You mean like Judith is on you?” Anna snarked back, and Levi immediately sobered. Ben’s eyes zipped over to his little brother, an impish smile crossing his face.

“No shite? Little Judy Dickerson?” Ben grabbed his little brother and gathered him up in his arms, Levi squirming to get away. “Who knew Little Levi was such a catch?” Levi wriggled out of his brother’s arms as Ben, Anna and Abe laughed.

“Can we just drop it?” He said, giving his brother a shove, causing Ben to laugh harder.

“Sure, sure thing, lover-boy. Hey, check it out.” Ben smiled, pointing to the piece of paper in front of Abe. Anna, Abe and Levi followed his finger and saw, right out of the blank paper, the word Culper appear in black ink. “What did I tell you? Invisible ink.”

“Magic…” Anna breathed out as she neared the desk for a better look, Levi and Ben right behind here.

“No, chemistry,” Ben smiled in response.

“Culper? Who’s Culper? He’s Culper?” Levi read, pointing to Abe. “What? He gets a neat spy name? Where’s my neato spy name?” At that, Ben avoided eye contact, trying to hold back a smile.

“You’re Squirt,” Ben answered slowly, not looking at Levi and a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Anna wasn’t even bothering to hide her smile, she simply stood to the side, holding the boat, smile on her face as she glanced between the two brothers.

“Duh, I know I’m squirt, Benny. I meant, what’s my spy name?” Levi rolled his eyes at his brother. This is the man that went to Yale at 15?

“That’s your code name, Levi. It’s Squirt,” Ben answered, the smile now blossoming across his face. Levi was silent for several moments. Anna and Abe simply watched him, waiting for a reaction.

“….Are you kidding me? He gets a neat spy name like Culper, and I get…’Squirt’? The name I’ve been called since I was two?” Levi ranted, his voice cracking several times throughout.

“Sorry, squirt. You’re just…Squirt,” Ben smiled, mussing up Levi’s hair. While Anna and Abe laughed, Levi groaned and pulled out of Ben’s grip.

“So Ben, if that’s not magic, how does it work?” Anna asked curiously, pointing to the paper with the word Culper on it. Ben grabbed the two vials on the desk, one filled with a clear liquid, the other with a green liquid.

“First you write the message in the clear agent,” Ben told her, holding up the vial with the clear liquid. Then he held up the second vial. “Then by brushing on the reagent, you can make it visible. I’ll show you how to apply it. While Abe remains in the city, you’ll have to transcribe his letters and Abigail’s and put them both into the drop.”

“While Abe remains in the city?” Anna questioned, confused.

“I was just about to tell him that I can’t do it,” Abe said to Anna, he then turned to Ben. “Ben, I can’t do it.”

“What? Why?” Ben asked, surprised as Abe shrugged helplessly. “Abe, you’re studying the law. It’s the perfect cover.”

“If it was that simple, I’d be there already, all right?” Abe told him. “As it is, I can’t stay longer than week.” Abe turned and glanced up over his shoulder at Anna. Both Ben and Levi looked from Abe to Anna and back again in identical motions. 

“Look, whatever’s happening between you two, it has to be put aside,” Ben sighed.

“It’s not that,” Abe and Anna said in unison, causing Ben to raise his eyebrows.

“Awkward,” Levi sing-songed under his breath, looking everywhere but at the couple in front of him. Ben gave him a sharp slap on the arm, before turning back to Abe and Anna, looking at them firmly.

“I can’t help you unless you tell me the truth,” He told them, glancing between them, knowingly. Abe sighed, and looked up at Anna for her opinion. She raised her eyebrows and nodded her head in affirmation.

“Okay,” Abe said, slamming his hands down on the desk, and standing up to face Ben. “The truth is….I have a better solution. Now what we really need is a friend inside the city. Someone other than Orphans,” Abe glanced at Levi, before Levi could even make a comment, “someone who can send messages, and receive them. And I may have found him.”

“Ah, a friend? Who?” Ben asked skeptically.

“His name’s Townsend. He’s originally from Oyster Bay, but he runs a boardinghouse in the Bowery now. He’s very smart. He’s very discreet,” Abe told him. As he listened, another section of Levi’s mind was running over time thinking through what Abe said. This man could add another helpful link in the chain…

“Right, this Townsend, he—what, he just volunteered?” Ben questioned even more skeptically than before.

“Well, he wants to, he just doesn’t know it yet,” Abe told him hesitantly. Ben let out an exasperated sigh, and spun away from Abe so he didn’t have to look at him. Levi held back a laugh, he knew that feeling all too well.

“Ugh, Abe!” Ben ran his hands through his long, dirty hair.

“Look, I’m travelling to see him tomorrow,” Abe told him, placatingly.

“I can’t go back with this. I can’t go back there,” Ben insisted to Abe, and he wasn’t wrong. He needed a sure thing.

“Look, Ben, I know him. Trust me,” Abe attempted to reason with him.

“I do trust you, Abe. But Washington…” At this, Ben hesitated and avoided eye contact. “Washington may not trust me. All right? I’ve earned his disappointment of late and I need something to make up for that. Something real or else I’m out.”

“You always were a teacher’s pet,” Levi commented from where he sat on the desk.

“Shut up, Levi,” Ben snapped angrily and in frustration, running a hand through his dirty hair again.

“Okay, okay, let’s calm down a second,” Levi said, hopping off the desk. He turned to Abe. “Abe, are you positive you can get Townsend on board?”

“……Yes, I can get him on our side.”

“Ok. Then Henry can meet with Townsend, and give his information straight to Townsend, then Townsend can send it on to Abe. Cut out the middle man. You just worry about getting Townsend on board,” Levi told them, turning back to his brother. “Just tell Washington you got a man in New York. Let us worry about what’s happen over here.” A smile spread across Ben’s face, and he tugged his brother in for a hug.

“This is why I love you, squirt. You’re the man with the plan,” Ben said affectionately, mussing his hair up. As he released him, he pulled a pocket watch from his pocket. His eyes immediately got wide. “Oh shite, you gotta go, squirt! If Zipporah wakes and finds you gone, she’ll be worried out of her mind.”

“One more hug!” Anna immediately ordered, pulling Levi into her arms and giving him a kiss on the top of his head. Ben pulled him over a second later for one last hug, not knowing when he’ll see his little brother again, embraced him tightly and kissed the top of his head.

“Be safe, and stay out of trouble, ok, squirt?” Levi nodded and started to creep up the cellar steps, only stopped when Abe called him name.

“Levi!” Levi looked back at him, where he was standing awkwardly by the desk. “Thanks.”

Levi simply nodded awkwardly back and proceeded back up the steps and back into the dark night.

* * *

Today was a little different. Instead of meeting Major Hewlett at the church, like on a regular day, Levi was meeting Hewlett at White Hall. As he got closer to White Hall, he saw Major Hewlett was standing out front, with two soldiers who were unloading a large crate from a wagon.

“What’s that?” Levi asked curiously, causing Hewlett to look over at him.

“Do you enjoy astrology, Mr. Tallmadge?”

“Astrology?” Levi asked, confused.

“Oh yes! It’s fascinating!” Hewlett exclaimed excitedly, turning away from the wagon. “It’s the study of the stars, planets, constellations, and galaxies.”

“Uh…okay,” Levi replied hesitantly, his brow furrowing in confusion and clearly not quite understanding what Hewlett just told him.

“Come, come! I’ll show you,” Hewlett gestured for the soldiers to follow him, and he led them behind White Hall, to a small, white painted deck that overlooked Long Island Sound’s mirror like reflective surface. The soldiers carrying the crate set it down in the center of the deck, leaving a crowbar on the deck with crate.

“Major Hewlett!” Both Levi and Hewlett turned to see Anna approaching with the carved wooden boat in her hands.

“Sorry, I didn’t see you there…how can I…Hello,” Hewlett stuttered, causing Levi to stifle a laugh.

“Good day,” Anna smiled politely. “You remember the gift sent from my former housemaid Abigail to her son?”

“From Philadelphia. Of course,” Hewlett smiled back. Levi glanced between Anna and Hewlett. Hewlett couldn’t seem to take his eyes off Anna.

“Well, he was overjoyed to receive it and he quickly carved this for his mother,” Anna explained, holding out the wooden boat. Hewlett took the boat, turning it over in his hands. “He has a talent for woodworks, you see? I was wondering if I could prevail upon you to send this back by way of the same post.”

“Well…I suppose…” Hewlett stumbled over himself as he fumbled with the bowsprit on the boat. Anna watched his hand nervously.

“Sure, you can!” Levi cut in, smiling, stepping up beside Hewlett. “Just put it in with a larger shipment. Easy peasy.”

“Yes, yes, that could work,” Hewlett said thoughtfully, still fidgeting with the bowsprit.

“I confess, I’m curious as to what’s in this box,” Anna interrupted curiously, eyeing his hand on the bowsprit.

“Ah. Well, it isn’t ready to show yet. But I’ll tell you what. If you return here tomorrow night, you see what is in this box standing right here. And if you but have the courage to look, you will perceive marvels that will quite take your breath away,” Hewlett propositioned, gesturing to the crate. Levi was mildly impressed, Hewlett normally wasn’t this smooth.

“Marvels?” Anna questioned skeptically.

“Unlike anything you’ve ever known,” Hewlett responded cryptically. Anna eyed him doubtfully for several moments before smiling.

“Call me intrigued. I look forward to it,” Anna told him before turning on her heels and walking away. Levi glanced between them as Hewlett watched her leave with a satisfied smile on his face.

“Very smooth, Romeo,” he commented, causing Hewlett to look over at him and a blush to spread across his cheeks. “So what _is_ in the box anyway? Other than something to do with the stars?”

“Not just the stars, my boy, the universe!” Hewlett exclaimed excitedly. Levi looked back at him nonplussed. “Here, let me show you.”

Hewlett set the wooden boat given to him by Anna on the edge of the deck, and he grabbed the crowbar that the soldiers had left, and pried the lid of the crate open. Curious, Levi took several steps closer for a better look. Lying in the open crate, in a bed of soft straw, was a long, narrow, shiny metal object with three, long spindly legs.

“What is it?” Levi asked, confused but curious as Hewlett pulled the device from its comfortable looking coffin. 

“It’s a reflective telescope!” Hewlett told excitedly, for which Levi just stared back at him, confused. “Like a spyglass, but instead of looking at ships, it’s used to look at the stars.”

“Yeah, right. You can’t see the stars from down here,” Levi stated confidently, while Hewlett set up the telescope on the edge of the deck, and peered through it.

“Au contraire, mon ami,” Hewlett responded with a smile, adjusting the angle of the telescope slightly then stepping back. “Go ahead, take a look.” 

Levi glanced hesitantly over at Hewlett, who stood there smiling excitedly, before stepping up to the telescope. He pressed his eye against the circular eyepiece and peered through. Levi wasn’t exactly sure what he was looking at. The telescope was pointed up at the sky, and through eyepiece he could bleary, circular shape.

“What is it?” Levi asked, pulling back and looking at Hewlett.

“That’s Venus!” Hewlett exclaimed, practically bouncing on his toes.

“That’s Venus? The planet?” Levi answered in disbelief, looking back through the telescope to get another look at the planet. “That’s incredible.”

“Would…would you like to learn more?” Hewlett asked hesitantly, wringing his hands nervously. Levi immediately pulled back from the telescope, a big grin on his face.

“Yeah! Definitely!” Hewlett instantly beamed, reached down and picked up the wooden boat he had set down earlier.

“All right, then. Let’s go.” Major Hewlett and Levi started walking back to White Hall, side by side, his hands still fumbling with the boat.

“So are there any other planets we can see during the day?”

“Oh, yes. We can usually see Saturn, but this isn’t the best time of year. But maybe we can try later and you can get a good look at the rings…..”


	5. Allies or Enemies?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The war isn't as clean cut as it appears to be. It's not split evenly into Redcoats, and Continentals. Allies and Enemies. The war if full of various shades of grays, and traitors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And.....WE'RE BACK!!!! I hope everyone had a lovely and safe holiday! Happy New Year! We're finally free of 2020! Yahoo! Fingers crossed this year is better than last year. But...the year is what YOU make it, so MAKE IT GOOD. Positive thoughts everyone.   
> So onward to the story! Things are really ramping up, we're getting into some real good action. So please leave KUDOS, COMMENTS, BOOKMARK!

_"And ever has it been known that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation"- Khalil Gibran_

Fall came and went, and soon enough, a chill settled over Long Island. The leaves on the trees turned various shades of yellow, burnt orange, and red. The leaves rustled, crinkled and crunched beneath the feet of the townspeople.

Levi sat across from Zipporah, shoveling food into his mouth. He was talking excitedly to her, telling her about his evening spent with Major Hewlett, learning about stars, planets and constellations. Many days of late, had been spent learning astronomy from Major Hewlett, who wished to be an astronomer prior to the war and still wished to pursue that, and was happy to impart his knowledge on the curious youth.

“Did you know Venus was the second brightest object in the sky?” Levi shoveled some mashed potatoes into his mouth.

“Is it really?” Zipporah feigned interest, eating her dinner at much slower pace than Levi.

“Yeah, yeah! And Saturn is the fifth brightest! You can even see its rings with the telescope! It’s so neat!” Levi told her excitedly after swallowing his mouthful of potatoes. “So how was your day? How’s the orchard? How’s Auntie Loretta?”

“The orchard is doing well,” Zipporah told him, putting a spoonful of soup daintily into her mouth. “Loretta is relieved to have some help around the house and orchard.”

“That’s good,” Levi answered, piling more food into his mouth, causing Zipporah to chuckle as she turned back to her dinner.

* * *

Zipporah was making her way leisurely into town, the sun shining and the air chilly. Levi had run off with friends, finally acting the child that he was while Zipporah was on her way to DeJong’s Tavern to pick up the mail. Upon entering the tavern, she was hit by the stale smell of ale and sweat, and overwhelmed by the loud laughter of drunk soldiers. She swiftly passed the rowdy, drunken men to the bar, where Anna was cleaning mugs.

“Hi, Anna. Any mail today?” Zipporah asked as she approached the bar.

“Yes, actually,” Anna responded, setting down the mug and rag, and wiping her hands on her apron before reaching below the bar and pulling out a letter. Zipporah instantly perked up upon spotting the lettering on the front. She recognized that handwriting. She’d recognize it anywhere. That was Nathaniel’s handwriting.

“Thank you, Anna!” Zipporah exclaimed as she took the letter and eagerly ripped it open. As she read the letter intently, she brushed past the loud, obnoxious soldiers, leaving the crowded tavern behind as she stepped into the cool, crisp, fall day.

Zipporah read through the letter once, twice, thrice, even four times, simply soaking in the words on the page that belonged to the man she loved so dearly and missed so much.

_My Dearest Zipporah,_

_As I write this letter, my heart aches for you. It aches for your touch, for your lips and your company. I do so wish that I could be in your presence at this moment, but alas, fate has deemed it not to be. But one day soon, we shall be together again. I do hope my son, Levi, has not been troubling you too dearly? He can be a sweet and caring boy, but on too many occasions, his intelligence and mischief run away with him. Do give him my love, and shortly, when this war has run its course and we have won, we shall be together and be a family._

_With all my love and affection,_

_Nathanial Tallmadge_

Zipporah clutched the letter to her chest as she made her way back home, taking in the smell of the parchment, ink and something that was wholly Nathaniel. Boy, did she miss that man, every single day. She reread the letter once again, this time her gaze freezing on the last sentence. _We shall be together and be a family._ Be a Family….The end of the war couldn’t come soon enough for Zipporah.

* * *

Levi was on a hill overlooking Setauket, with Cicero, Tom, William and James. The leaves that had blanketed the ground had been cleared away and raked into large piles. The five boys were taking turns jumping into the large piles and tossing leaves at one another. Levi was just climbing out of a large pile of crinkly leaves when he heard a noise, one out of place from the blowing wind, crinkly leaves and laughter of boys. Carrying on the wind, was the sound of, what could only be, half a dozen horse’s hooves.

“Time!” Levi yelled, as he struggled to pull himself from the leaf pile, which attempted to suck him back in. His yell was met with several loud groans and sudden rustling as the others pulled themselves from the leaf piles. Going to the edge of the hill, Levi looked out over the town of Setauket and the roads leading into it.

“What is it?” Cicero asked, coming over to stand next to him. Levi simply pointed towards the road. Coming down the coast road was half a dozen men in forest green, the leaves crunching beneath the horses’ hooves.

“Who is that? It doesn’t look like British Regulars,” Tom said, coming to stand at Levi’s other side.

“They’re Queen Rangers,” Levi replied grimly. “Looks like the fun’s over, lads.”

* * *

Levi quickly jogged through town and up to the water pump, where Anna was pumping water into a large wooden bucket. Levi quickly took hold of the heavy bucket which Anna was trying lug back towards the Tavern.

“Well aren’t you a gentleman? To what do I owe the pleasure?” Anna said with a grin, as she stepped back, wiping her hands off on her apron.

“We might have a problem,” Levi muttered, jerking his head towards the road. He hefted the bucket of water up and started to shuffle towards the Tavern. Anna followed his subtle jerk, and looked towards the road. Coming up down the road and into Setauket were the Queen’s Rangers, with Simcoe leading the way, and Akinbode at his right hand.

“Jordan?” Anna questioned in disbelief as Simcoe dismounted and Akinbode directed the other men to tie up the horses’. Levi set down the heavy bucket gently, and stepped up next to Anna protectively as Simcoe started walking towards them.

“Get away from her, Simcoe,” Levi ordered viciously, stepping between Anna and Simcoe as Simcoe walked straight for Anna.

“Ah, Mr. Tallmadge. Good to see you made a full recovery,” He said casually, in his sickeningly polite voice, his eyes going from Anna to Levi.

“No thanks to you. What are you doing here, Simcoe?” Levi asked angrily, not taking his eyes off the older man.

“My platoon is stationed here—” Simcoe but he is quickly cut off by Hewlett rounding the corner with several soldiers flanking him.

“You! How dare you show your face in this place again?” Major Hewlett growled angrily, as he stomped up Simcoe.

“Please, Major, there is no need for apologies. It’s good to see you,” Simcoe replied, turning to face Hewlett, his voice calm and annoyingly polite.

“Is he fucking joking right now?” Levi mumbled to Anna as he glanced at her over his shoulder, then looking back at Simcoe. “You fucking shot me!”

“An apology?” Major Hewlett exclaimed, equally shocked and appalled at Simcoe’s words.

“Yes, I’ve already chosen to forgive past transgressions, including yours Mr. Tallmadge, and begin anew,” Simcoe answered Hewlett, glancing briefly over his shoulder at Levi.

“Well that’s good, cause I don’t forgive you,” Levi snarked, crossing his arms defiantly as Anna lightly smacked him.

“That’s not a military uniform,” Hewlett scoffed, gesturing towards Simcoe’s green Queen’s Ranger’s uniform.

“Not a Regular’s, no. It’s fallen to me to take command of His Majesty’s Irregular’s, The Queen’s Rangers,” Simcoe informed them, turning to face Anna, clearly hoping to impress her. Levi scoffed loudly.

“Irregulars is right. Irregular brain, irregular common sense. I’m sure irregular other things,” Levi muttered loudly, halfway turned in the direction of Anna, his hand gesturing slightly to his crotch. She shoved him, her eyes widening slightly in shock. Simcoe glared hard at him, his jaw grinding together and his fists clenched. After a deep breath, he turned his back on Levi, turning to face Major Hewlett.

“I think I finally understand the burden of a full command, Major Hewlett,” Simcoe stated, stepping up to Hewlett, so they were face to face.

“Killing men in cold blood is hardly a leadership quality,” Hewlett replied vehemently, looking him dead in the face.

“In the meantime,” Simcoe said, ignoring Hewlett and pacing back towards Anna. “While my men camp there, I require more domestic accommodation. Your tavern, Mrs. Strong, should do nicely.”

“Like hell!” Levi shouted vehemently, getting in Simcoe’s face, his face angry. Simcoe towered over Levi, the top of Levi’s head only reaching Simcoe’s chest.

“It’s not your decision, Levi,” Anna told him sternly, as she pushed him out of the way and behind her. Once Levi was out of way, but glaring at the back of Anna’s head, Anna looked up at Simcoe. “Of course, Captain. You’re more than welcome to rest in my room…..It’s perfect timing, actually.”

Anna walked past Simcoe to stand next to Major Hewlett, then turned to face Simcoe. Levi looked between the two quizzically, his eyebrow raised.

“Major Hewlett had just this morning offered me lodging at White Hall and I’ve accepted with gratitude,” Anna told Simcoe, which Simcoe looked away in embarrassment.

“It was the least I could do,” Hewlett readily agreed, as Simcoe turned away from him.

“I fear it may not be enough. My men have heard rumors of rebels raiding private homes all across Long Island,” Simcoe informed them, as he turned back to face Hewlett and Anna.

“And how is that any worse than what you did to us? Give the rebels some coins and valuables and they go away. That’s more than we can say for you, O’ Deadly One. Since you’re like a fungus that won’t go away,” Levi responded, arms crossed over his chest and eyebrows furrowed. Simcoe immediately spun around to face to Levi, his countenance an angry snarl.

“Listen here, you unlicked cub,” Simcoe growled, stomping closer to Levi so he towered over the boy. Levi didn’t budge, he simply glared back at Simcoe in kind.

“Thank you for your concern, Captain Simcoe,” Anna interrupted the Captain’s insults loudly.

“I can assure you, Captain, this town is quite safe since dangerous elements were chased out last spring,” Hewlett told Simcoe. Then he turned to his attention to Anna. “Have my men collected your baggage yet as per your request?”

“I believe they were just about to,” Anna replied, glancing from Simcoe to Hewlett. Hewlett held his arm out for Anna, a smile on his face. Anna happily took his arm and Hewlett lead her out of town and away from Simcoe. As they watched the couple leave, Levi let out a low whistle, gathering Simcoe’s attention.

“I am 100% positive that did not go how you wanted it. Perhaps you were expecting a….more intimate outcome,” Levi commented, looking over at Simcoe. Immediately, Simcoe’s face curled into an infuriated mask as he spun around to face Levi. He lunged at the boy, making a grab for him. Levi instantly dodged the Captain’s hands, spinning away from him, and took off running after Anna and Hewlett.

* * *

The parlor at White Hall was a busy, but relaxing, place this evening. Major Hewlett and Anna were sitting at the harpsichord, where Hewlett was teaching her how to play. Mary and Richard Woodhull were playing chess by the fire, both of them eyeing the couple at the harpsichord warily. Levi sat next to Richard with a large book of constellations on his lap.

Levi hopped off the couch, the big book in his arms, and lugged it over to the harpsichord. He set it down in front of Hewlett, flipping it open so the man could see.

“This constellation, tell me about this one,” Levi said, pointing to one of the pictures on the page.

“Oh, that is the Canis Major, the Great Dog,” Hewlett told him, excitedly. “Canis Major was the mythical Orion’s trusty hound dog. The brightest star in this constellation, Sirius, is also the brightest star in the sky. Sirius, also known as the Dog Star, is actually 20 times brighter than the sun.”

“Neato. I love dogs,” Levi muttered in awe, taking the book back and walking slowly back to his seat as he read the page.

“He’s really into that, isn’t he?” Anna commented with a smile, as she glanced back at Levi where he read the big book intently.

“I’m glad,” Hewlett smiled, also looking over at the boy. “I’m happy to pass on my knowledge and joy for the celestial arts.” Hewlett look over as Anna’s fingers stumbled over the keys, causing the song to skip, a smile gracing his face.

“I believe I have a folio of Handel in my room. It’s a little more…forgiving,” Hewlett suggested, standing up, grabbing a candle and heading up stairs.

As soon as Major Hewlett was out of sight, the front door burst open, surprising the Woodhulls’, Levi and Anna, and in paraded several, angry looking Continental soldiers. The soldiers had ragged, dirty uniforms, and rifles cocked and poised, pointed directly at the four of them.

“Snuff the candles,” a man with limp, dirty brown hair said, gesturing with his rifle. The other soldiers quickly followed his commands. “You four, to the dining room.” The four captives slowly got up and made their way to the dining room table, with Levi last in line and trailing behind after setting down his large book.

Anna, Mary and Richard took a rigid seat at the end of the dark dining room table, while Levi stayed standing at the other end of the table by the entrance of room. As the soldiers followed them into the room, several of the soldiers hid behind the walls of the room, their rifles pulled against their chests.

“Take a seat, boy,” their leader ordered, pointing to one of the chairs. But the man didn’t move from his spot in front of the door, next to the stairs. Levi stubbornly refused to sit down or move from his spot at the entrance of the dining room, and just defiantly crossed his arms. They were interrupted by the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. Instantly, the soldiers shrunk back into the shadows, and waited.

Major Hewlett trotted eagerly down the stairs, a piece of paper and candle in hands, stopping at the bottom of the stairs. He looked at the empty parlor in confusion, the big book of constellations strewn on the ground haphazardly. His eyes drifted over to the dining room, where the Woodhulls’ and Anna were sitting rigidly and on edge. Levi still stood at the entrance to the room, his arms crossed and stubborn.

One of the soldiers came out of the shadows, just as Hewlett was turning, and slammed his fist right across Hewlett’s face. Both Mary and Anna let out loud gasps, Anna being held back from coming to Hewlett’s aid only by the muskets pointed at her chest. The soldier pulled Hewlett off the ground and into a chokehold, so he was facing their Continental commander.

“Major Hewlett,” their commander stated, looking Hewlett dead in the face, glowering.

“What is this about?” Hewlett asked, as he struggled against the chokehold. “I am an officer in the Royal Army. Release me.”

“Maybe we’ll just release your tongue,” the commander threatened, holding up a bloody note. “Make things even.”

“Okay, hold on, now. Let’s not be rash,” Levi said, stepping forward, ignoring the muskets that were following his movements.

“Stay out of it, boy,” the man growled, turning to face him, his face vicious.

“I don’t think I will,” Levi commented casually, causing Anna to groan behind him.

“For once in your life, Levi, will you please stay out of it?” she grumbled as she leaned on the table, her fingers rubbing her temples.   
“Shut up, Anna,” He threw over his shoulder, then turned back to the commander in front of him. “I know for a fact that General George Washington doesn’t take kindly to captives or hostages, no matter who’s side they’re on, being treated with hostility. If he finds out that you treat Major Hewlett anything less than a man of his rank, General Washington will come down on you so hard.”

“You know General Washington?” The commander questioned Levi skeptically. Levi fidgeted nervously.

“Um..sort of. My older brother, Benjamin, is a Major in the Continental Army. He’s a commander of the 2nd Continental Light Dragoons, and reports directly to General Washington,” Levi hedged hesitantly. The commander glanced at his soldiers briefly.

“Grab the boy,” he ordered, gesturing to Levi, then turning his back on him.

“Oh shi—” Levi started to curse, as the soldiers grabbed him, pulling a burlap sack over his head. The last thing he heard as he and Hewlett were being dragged through the front door was Anna yelling hysterically after them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 18th century terms:   
> unlicked cub- rude, uncouth child.


	6. The Death of Innocence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Continental soldiers take Major Hewlett and Levi to their camp in Connecticut, where Hewlett is being accused of heinous crimes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooo things are getting exciting!!! And by exciting, I mean, I'm torturing Levi to the fullest extent, poor boy. Oh well. I hope you enjoy the chapter. Please leave KUDOS, COMMENT, or BOOKMARK. Remember, support authors and content creators!!!

__

_What is imprisonment to the man who is fearless of death itself?-Mahatma Gandi_

Levi and Major Hewlett were shoved roughly and blindly into a boat on the shore. He stumbled over the lip of the whaleboat, and fell ungracefully onto one of the seats, with Hewlett plopping into the seat beside him. He felt the boat rock under him as the Continentals entered the boat after him. Levi felt one the soldiers kick off the shore, and then smoothly glide away as they started to row across the Sound. He wish he could say he wasn’t scared……But he was scared. However, he’d do what he always did, and hide it beneath cockiness and sarcasm.

“I am a Major of the Royal Army! You cannot treat me this way!” Hewlett shouted at the soldiers, only for him to be met with cold silence.

“You’re a captive, Major Hewlett, they can treat you however they like,” Levi commented back, turning his head beneath the burlap sack in attempts to compensate for his lack of sight.

“You should listen to the boy, ya damn bloody back. He’s a smart one,” their commander growled at Hewlett from the bow. The captives and their captors were silent for several minutes, the only sounds being the waves of Long Island Sound, the oars slapping against the water, and the creaking and rocking of the whaleboat.

“So what kinda accommodations are we looking at? Two story inn with feather beds? Cute little farmhouse? Or maybe—Ow!” Levi was cut off by sharp hit to the back of the head.

“Shut your gob, ya brat. We should have left him on Long Island, boss,” the soldier said, the boat rocking with the waves and the wind rustling Levi’s burlap sack as Levi rubbed the back of his head.

“We can always toss the boy overboard, right here,” one soldier suggested harshly.

“Well that’d be stupid,” Levi commented, as he shifted on the hard seat of the whaleboat.

“Why is that?” Another soldier asked, somewhere from in front of Levi.

“…well, my brain is a plethora of untapped knowledge. Toss me overboard, and you will have lost all of it. Which would be highly unfortunate for you,” Levi told them as Hewlett leaned closer to him.

“Mr. Tallmadge, what are you doing?”

“Saving my own behind, for once. Shut up,” Levi whispered back harshly.

“Nobody is throwing anyone overboard. Now shut your gobs,” the commander growled. Silence spread over the boat once more. All that was heard was the wind, the water and the oars. Finally, Levi felt the boat bump along the opposite shore, the soldiers scrambling out to pull the boat up. Someone grabbed Levi tightly by the upper arms and yanked him roughly out of the boat.

“Take the boy to my tent, take the Major to the stocks,” their commander ordered, and Levi was dragged along, his feet skidding over what felt like wet dirt and sticks.

“Where are you taking him?” Hewlett yelled, his voice shrill. “Don’t you dare hurt that boy!” Levi didn’t have time to respond before he was dragged roughly into a tent and shoved into a chair. Only after a scratchy rope tied Levi tightly to the chair, did the soldier pull the burlap sack off his head. Levi blinked blurrily as the commander entered the tent with a flourish.

“So are you _finally_ going to tell me why you dragged me all the way to Connecticut, of all places, before I even had dinner?” Levi asked, as the subordinate left, leaving Levi and the commander alone.

“You said you had information. What information?” The man glared at him sternly. Levi was silent for a moment before speaking.

“Howe non Colonaie vir est,” Levi told him fluently and straight faced. The man blinked owlishly back at him for a moment.

“What…what was that?”

“I told you I had information, I didn’t specify what kind of information. I said ‘Howe is not an colonial man.’ In Latin,” Levi shrugged. The commander’s face visibly reddened in anger and frustration.

“What do you know about this?” The commander pulled out a bloody paper with a swish, and held it out for Levi to see. Then he pulled out a bag, dumping the contents on the ground. A heavy, meaty tongue plopped on the wet dirt with a squelchy plop.

“You want me to believe that Major Hewlett did that?” Levi questioned in disbelief, eyebrow raised, pointing to the disembodied tongue. “Are you fucking kidding right now? Hewlett’s a big puppy dog. He wouldn’t hurt a fly. And if he did, he might burst into hysterical tears afterwards.”

“According to this, he did do this. It’s a confession. He practically drew us a map straight to him!” the commander stated angrily, thrusting the paper in Levi’s face.

“And if I sent a letter to General Washington, saying your platoon massacred the town of Setauket, that doesn’t mean you did it, does it?” Levi stated rationally. “I can tell you there is no way that Major Hewlett pulled that off. If anything, it’s because I’m with him 18 out 24 hours of the day, and I would have noticed if he rushed off to Connecticut to de-tongue someone,” Levi told him firmly, not taking his eyes off the man.

“We’ll see after the interrogation,” the commander replied, bending down and scooping up the meaty tongue, then exiting the tent, with the opening flapping after him.

“Wait, interrogation? What interrogation?”

* * *

“Levi! Levi! Edmund!!” Anna shouted as she lunged from her chair, tears streaming down her face. But the front door of White Hall had long since snapped shut, Levi and Major Hewlett disappearing on the other side. Met with no response, Anna slumped back in her chair beside the Woodhulls’ and sobbed quietly in her hands.

Mary walked to the various candles around the room, reigniting them one by one. After a moment, Anna took a deep breath, wiped the tear tracks beneath her eyes and squared her shoulders. She stood up and grabbed her cloak off the coatrack, securing it about her neck.

“Where are you going?” Richard called out from his place at the table.

“I have to go tell Zipporah that Levi’s been kidnapped….she’s going to be devastated,” Anna responded, as she exited White Hall.

Anna hurried through Setauket, the night chilly and dark, pulling her cloak tighter about her shoulders. She rushed up the stoop, coming to stop at the front door of the Tallmadges’. Taking a deep breath, and gathering all her courage, Anna knocked on the front door. Anna waited patiently on the chilly porch, listening to the scuffling behind the door. Finally, the door opened, light spilling out onto the wooden porch.

“Anna?” Zipporah asked, surprised, pulling her robe tighter around herself. “Where’s Levi?....What’s happened?”

“Why don’t we go inside?” Anna suggested, gesturing to the hallway behind Zipporah.

“Annie, what’s happened to Levi?” She asked firmly as she opened the door further for Anna to enter. Anna closed the door behind and turned to face Zipporah, an emphatic look on her face.

“You might want to sit down,” Anna recommended, gesturing to the couch in the parlor.

“Annie, just tell me. What happened to Levi?” Zipporah asked, desperation lacing her tone. Anna took a deep breath.

“Levi’s been kidnapped.” Immediately, a hand went to Zipporah’s face as her eyes welled up with tears. Her knees visibly buckled as the emotions rolled through her. Anna grabbed her by the arm and gently led her over to the couch in the parlor.

“What? How? Is he alright? Tell me what exactly happened.” Zipporah stammered, as she wiped the tears from her face.

“Levi was with the Woodhulls’, Major Hewlett, and I at White Hall. He’d just found a book on space that he was really enjoying,” She told Zipporah with a small smile. “And out of nowhere….a bunch of Continental soldiers barged into the place, and grabbed Major Hewlett. Of course, Levi started running his mouth---” Zipporah snorted inelegantly.

“Of course he did. Little pain in the---.”

“And he mentioned being Ben’s brother, and having contacts with General Washington…..so the soldiers grabbed him too.”

“Oh, Levi,” Zipporah moaned, her face back in her hands. Anna rubbed her shoulder reassuringly. “When will that boy learn to keep his mouth shut?”

“He’s impulsive and doesn’t think,” Anna shrugged, then added, “and doesn’t listen.”

“Well when we find him, I will be having a very long and serious conversation with that child,” Zipporah told Anna seriously, wiping the tears still streaming from her eyes.

“That makes two of us,” Anna chuckled, Zipporah laughing along with her.

* * *

Ben stomped angrily across camp, pulling the bottle of Madeira from Caleb’s lips as he passed and taking a long draw.

“Right, so I’m guessing it didn’t go well, then?” Caleb questioned, as he followed Ben, who was still stomping angrily through camp.

“I’m being transferred,” Ben responded angrily, taking a long draft from the bottle of Madeira.

“He’s dismissing you from camp?” Caleb exclaimed, incredulously, right on Ben’s tail as they wove their way in between the tents and cook fires of Valley Forge.

“I’m no longer head of intelligence,” Ben told Caleb harshly.

“Just goes to show he ain’t got no head for intelligence himself,” Caleb quipped in response.

“He blames me for Abe going rogue,” Ben explained, as he stopped and turned angrily to face Caleb. “He says if I couldn’t command obedience from a friend handpicked for the task, then what hope do I have of gaining it from any other asset?” Taking a long sip from the Madeira, he turned and started to walk away.

“Well, I’m an asset, aren’t I?” Ben stopped and glanced at Caleb over his shoulder. “Not that I always do what you tell me, right.”

“And Levi just made the whole situation worse. ‘If I can’t control my own brother, how can lead and command my own agents?’ My little brother is the last person to listen to me,” Ben threw the bottle of Madeira hard at a fire pit, where it shattered.

“Hey! Geez, Ben. That’s just a waste of perfectly good Madeira,” Caleb scolded, as Ben paced back and forth.

“I’m going to kill them both, Caleb. We’re fucked. It’s over. Everything we worked for…it’s over,” Ben ranted exasperatedly.

“Will you calm down? Geez. It’s not over. According to Anna, if we get Hewlett back to Setauket, he can release Abe from prison, right? If Levi doesn’t break them out first. So…where are they being held?”

“In an outpost near New Haven. He’s been found guilty of wartime atrocities,” Ben informed Caleb.

“Atrocities?”

“Yeah. They said that he murdered their commander, wrote a note in his blood, and pinned his tongue to it. They were quite specific, and now they’re calling for Washington to sign off on his execution,” Ben explained to Caleb.

“If he’s being charged with atrocities, which seems mighty unlikely, why’s Levi there?”

“Because the twerp ran his mouth, what else? He mentioned he’s my brother and that he knew Washington, so they took him as well. Washington hasn’t figured out what to do yet, but I guess Levi has been insisting on Hewlett’s innocence. But Washington doesn’t feel compelled to free an alleged murderer on behalf of a failed spy, and the word of a 12 yr old boy does not hold weight.”

“Then Washington needs to get his head on straight. I trust Levi’s judgement more than anyone else’s. If Hewlett’s executed, what are they going to do with Levi?” Caleb asked, his brow furrowed in concern.

“They haven’t said, and that’s what worries me,” Ben told him, his face pinching in unease. Caleb was silent for a moment as he scratched at his beard in contemplation.

“Okay, well then we kidnap them ourselves. Break the two of ‘em outta there,” Caleb suggested looking up at Ben. “Make it look like those lobsters stole them back.”

“Just the two of us? Think we can do it?” Ben asked Caleb skeptically.

“ ‘Course,” Caleb replied with a grin. Ben shook his head, his eyes downcast.

“If Washington found out—” Caleb shoved him lightly.

“He’d come around. Abe isn’t just Abe. And Levi isn’t just Levi. They’re Culper and Squirt,” Caleb grinned up at Ben.

* * *

Levi had long since lost track of how many days, or even weeks, had passed. The sun came up, then the moon, then the sun, then the moon. The days had grown cold, and the trees had grown bare. Frost and snow now covered the forest floor, replacing the crinkly, dead leaves. Levi sat in that tent and listened to the screams and shouts of Major Hewlett as he was ‘interrogated’.

It was evening, and the sun was setting. They had just finished up with one of Hewlett’s ‘interrogations’, when the commander entered the tent.

“Tell me about your brother. Benjamin, was it?” Levi sat up on the cot.

“What’s to know?” He shrugged. “He’s a teacher’s pet who’s overly fond of horses.” The commander sighed, breathing deeply out of his nose, as he attempted his regain his patience.

“I meant, he reports directly to General Washington. Why?” the commander questioned through clenched teeth.

“My brother is a Major of the 2nd Connecticut Dragoon Unit. Anything other than that is way out of your pay grade, buddy,” Levi responded, flopping back on the cot.

“If his position is so secretive, then why do you know all about it?” the man asked, crossing his arms impatiently.

“Cause I’m an annoying little brother who butts into this older brother’s business whether he likes it or not,” Levi shrugged, as he leaned back in the cot, casual and relaxed. “It’s what I do.” The commander observed Levi for several moments, taking in the boy who laid relaxed on the cot in a warm tent.

“I believe we’ve made your stay with us a little too comfortable,” the commander told him finally, causing Levi to look up at him as the man opened the flap of the tent. “Corporal?” Another man in a Continental uniform stepped in, and stood before the commander at attention.

“Yes, Lieutenant?”

“Get our guest here ready, I’d like to question him,” and with that, the Lieutenant left the tent. Once the tent flap fluttered shut, the Corporal turned to face Levi causing him to gulp audibly.

By the time the Lieutenant returned, Levi was strapped to a chair, his binds uncomfortably tight and cutting into his arms which were wrapped around behind him, out in the cold, damp central yard of the Continental camp. The commander came out from his tent slowly, approaching Levi calculatedly, his feet squelching in the mud as he did, with his subordinates looking on.

“I’m going to ask you some questions, and you’re going to answer. Understood?” the command stated, looking directly at Levi.

“We’ll see,” Levi shrugged evasively, causing the man to grind his teeth in agitation.

“What is your relationship with Major Hewlett?”

“I’m his personal valet,” Levi responded, shifting his eyes up to the Lieutenant in disdain.

“How many days do you work? For how long?” The commander asked harshly.

“Nearly every day, for minimum of twelve hours,” Levi responded, casually.

“And you’re with him the whole time?”

“Pretty much.”

“Why did Major Hewlett kill our Captain?” The commander questioned roughly.

“I told you before, he didn’t,” Levi replied instantly and sincerely. “Hewlett isn’t capable of such a thing. He’s a big pussy cat.” The commander responded by slapping him across the face.

“Yes, he did! We have proof,” he shouted, pulling out the paper. “Now tell me the truth!”

“A piece of paper written by an unknown phantom, that’s your only proof! Which isn’t proof. It’s barely circumstantial evidence,” Levi shouted back. The Lieutenant responded by punching Levi in the stomach.

“Why did he kill our Captain?” It took Levi a moment to regain his breath.

“Did you see him do it? No? Then he didn’t do it. I’m with him all the time, I would have noticed if he snuck off to Connecticut,” Levi answered back angrily, his cheek a bright red and his stomach aching, and slightly nauseous. The Lieutenant grabbed his hair and pulled his head back roughly, staring angrily into Levi’s face for a long while before responding.

“Corporal! Take him back to the tent. But don’t untie, let him stew for a bit,” the commander ordered before releasing him and strutting away. The Corporal grabbed the back of Levi’s chair and dragged it over to the tent, where he promptly left Levi all by his lonesome, tied to the chair.

Time passed, Levi wasn’t how sure how much. By the end of the first hour, he was shivering uncontrollably from the cold. By the end of the second hour, his stomach was growling loudly from hunger. By the end of the third hour, his wrists were rubbed raw from the ropes. By the end of the fourth hour, Levi was thinking of a way out.

It was clear that the Lieutenant was going to believe whatever he wanted to believe, and he wanted to believe that Major Hewlett killed his superior. And that belief was going end in Hewlett’s execution, if Washington gave the go ahead. Levi wasn’t sure what they were going to do with him once they killed Hewlett, but he wasn’t about to wait around and find out. Thinking fast, with only a half formulated plan in his head, he started yelling.

“Lieutenant! Corporal! Someone! I need to take a piss!” After a moment, both the Lieutenant and Corporal blew through the tent flaps.

“The only reason you better be yelling is because you’re ready to tell us something useful,” the commander stated, annoyed. Levi scoffed in response.

“No, I ain’t giving you anything. I need to take a piss.”

“Can’t you hold it?” The Corporal replied, looking down at the boy tied in the chair.

“Well if one of you don’t take me to the bathroom, I’m going to piss all over right here. And let me tell you one thing: I’m not cleaning it up,” Levi said forcefully. The commander sighed heavily.

“Corporal, take him to the woods’ edge so he may go to the bathroom,” the man ordered before leaving the tent briskly. Levi smirked smugly up at the Corporal as he untied Levi from the chair, grumbling the whole time.

The Corporal gripped Levi’s upper bicep tightly and shoved him from the tent, guiding him roughly to the edge of the Continental camp and amongst the trees, his arms still tied behind his back. By the time they stopped, they were nearly out of sight of any of the soldiers.

“All right, go,” the Corporal ordered, shoving Levi in front of a tree.

“How? I can’t take out my lobcock with my hands tied behind my back. Not unless you’d like to ‘help’,” Levi responded, glanced over his shoulder at the Corporal. The Corporal stood there, grinding his teeth and weighing his choices, before finally stepping up behind Levi to untie his wrists. 

As soon as the Corporal stepped up behind him, Levi slammed his heel into the man’s foot, then rammed his head into the Corporal’s nose. The Corporal crumpled to the ground, his face in his hands, blood streaming from his nose. Levi took off at a full run into the dense woods, his hands looser but still tied, the Corporal screaming in pain behind him.


	7. Killing the Devil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Levi's escape from the Continental camp, an unexpected guest forces him to return and forces to do some things he never wished he had to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEEEYY! Here's Chapter 7, I really hope you enjoy it. Its sort of depressing. But it gets happy again soon. So please KUDOS, and COMMENT!! I want to know what you think. 
> 
> Trigger Warning: there is some violence and death, and gore. Its been in the tags since chapter 1, so you should have expected it by now. But if it makes you uncomfortable, just skip it.
> 
> Also, just as a warning, updates may be a little slower. My writing is getting a bit slower because I'm back at school, I need to get an internship, and a job. Hopefully, soon, I'll be moving out of my parents house. So just a lot of things going on. But I WILL update.

_"Older men declare war. But it is youth that must fight and die.”-Herbert Hoover_

_~1773~_

_“Oh, Levi, what happened?” Ben stood in front of the 8-year-old, who sat in the kitchen chair scowling in an adorable manner that only pudgy 8-year-olds can, looking remarkably like a grumpy beagle. Blood streamed from a bruised nose, his right eye puffed closed and purplish-blue. His fists were cut, bruised and swollen. Caleb stood right beside Ben, desperately trying not to laugh at Levi’s grumpy pout. Ben was trying to be stern, he really was. But Levi looked pathetic._

_“I swear, Benny, I didn’t start it!” Levi exclaimed, spitting blood as he spoke. It wasn’t his fault, really, it wasn’t._

_“That’s not what I asked, Levi. I asked what happened,” Ben retorted sternly, crossing his arms. He could feel his stress levels rising the longer he stood there._

_“It was Beekman! He started it, he jumped me! I just fought back. Nearly won too,” Levi replied vehemently, causing Ben to sigh tiredly._

_“Fucking Beekman,” Caleb grumbled, then looked over at Ben. “I always hated them. I told you that little rat was gonna turn out just like his brother, Tallboy.”_

_“Let’s get you cleaned up, little man,” Ben said gently, as he took a cloth off the counter and crouched down in front of Levi. He took Levi’s chin lightly in his hand, and turning the boy’s face upwards so he could see him, started to softly dab at the boy’s nose. The poor kid looked a mess._

_“And I’m going to teach you how to punch,” Caleb told him excitedly, throwing a punch into the air in front of him._

_“I know how to punch, Caleb,” Levi retorted, “My problem wasn’t with my punching. It was the fact that he was triple my size and I couldn’t get an upper hand.” Caleb smiled._

_“Well I can help with that too. I was a small boy too. Beekman’s big brother used to pick on me and Benny-boy here when we were your age,” Caleb told Levi. Immediately, Levi’s mouth dropped open, stunned._

_“No way. But…but…but you’re a whaler and can throw axes! And Benny…well, Benny, you’re just Ben. You’re invincible,” Levi stated, with that open hero worship that little brothers have. Ben chuckled._

_“Not invincible, no. We weren’t born into this world all grown up, ya know,” Ben laughed, dabbing at Levi’s nose. “Once we were little trouble making 8-year-old boys too.”_

_“I refuse to believe it,” Levi stated, shaking his head. Ben and Sam had always been as they were, for as long as he could remember. Ben as a child? Unimaginable._

_“Well, it’s true, squirt. And as a small boy, I found a way to get the upper hand on the bigger bullies,” Caleb grinned. Ben internally groaned, he knew where this was going. Levi looked up at Caleb, excited and entranced. Ben moved from Levi’s face to his bruised, battered and bloody knuckles._

_“Really? How?”_

_“Chokes. The key to beating bigger people is chokes,” Caleb told him, stepping around behind Levi and slipping his arm beneath his tiny chin and around his small neck. “Just wrap your arm around the neck, clamp your hand onto your opposite arm, place your hand on the back of their head,” Caleb’s left hand gripped onto his right bicep, and his right hand came up to grip the crown of Levi’s skull, “and squeeze.”_

_Caleb flexed his muscles just slightly, causing Levi’s eyes to bulge as he started to choke and sputter, his hands flying from Ben’s grip as they flew up to smack Caleb._

_“Caleb! What the hell?” Ben exclaimed angrily, eyes shooting up to Caleb’s face. Caleb released his arms and stepped back as Levi took a big gasp, his hand going to his neck._

_“Whoa! I want to try!” Levi grinned up at Caleb. Caleb looked from Levi to Ben._

_“You heard him, Benny-Boy. Turn around,” Caleb ordered with smug grin. Ben glanced from Caleb’s smug grin to Levi’s excited one, then sighed exasperatedly, knowing he was outnumbered. He turned around and sat down in front of Levi, his back resting against Levi’s knees._

_Levi slipped his thin, bony arm around Ben’s neck, following Caleb’s instruction. Then he gripped his upper arm, and attempted to copy Caleb and place his other hand on the top of Ben’s head, but his arms were too small and he couldn’t quite reach._

_“There you go, squirt. Yeah, you’d place it on his head, just reach as far as you can. Don’t worry, you’ll grow,” Caleb told him, helping to adjust his grip. “And now just squeeze.”_

_Levi squeezed his arms as tightly as he could. It took a couple moments, but quickly Ben started to choke and sputter. Levi didn’t release quick enough, causing Ben to tug Levi’s arm roughly away from his neck and take a gasping breath._

_“Sorry, sorry. You okay, Benny?” Levi asked as he sat back, his hands coming to rest in his lap again._

_“Yeah. You got…you got good arm strength there, squirt,” Ben replied hoarsely, turning back around to face Levi. His hands came up to rub at his neck. The kid could do some real damage with that._

_“It’s never not useful. Plus if you squeeze long and hard enough, you can kill someone. You could crush their windpipe.” Ben looked up at Caleb in shock and disbelief, the bloody cloth back in his hands._

_“Caleb! He’s eight! Why the hell is he going to need to know how to kill someone?” Ben asked exasperatedly._

_“Ya never know,” Caleb simply shrugged, as Ben rolled his eyes and went back to cleaning Levi’s hands, both Levi and Caleb snickering._

* * *

~1777~

Levi ran. And ran. And ran. As fast as his legs would carry him. Over logs, and under tree branches. He could hear the soldiers yelling and running behind him, which only made him run harder. As the shouts died down, and the forest became quiet, Levi paused for a breath behind a large oak tree. He let out a deep sigh as the tension left his body, sagging heavily against the tree. After catching his breath, Levi started to tug earnestly at the binds around his wrists behind his back. He winced slightly from where the ropes rubbed against the rope burns. After a moment of struggling, the loosened ropes finally ripped free.

“Geez, these guys really need to work on their knot tying,” Levi muttered to himself, tossing the rope to the ground. Rubbing at the rope burns on his wrists, he finally took a good look around.

He’s in the middle of the forest, and one bare tree looked every other bare tree. Twilight was quickly descending on him, turning the forest various shades of pinks, oranges and purples. He had to find a place to hunker down for the night. He couldn’t stay out in the open, not with the possibility of soldiers finding him. The last thing he wanted was to be caught off guard, making the safest spot up in the trees. Looking around himself, Levi found a perfect tree to climb up into.

He quickly scaled the tree and nestled into the crook about ten feet up. As the forest grew darker and darker, he settled deeper into the tree. But try as he might, he couldn’t sleep. Every frog croak, every breaking branch, every noise caused him to jerk to alertness. Eventually, he managed to settle into an uneasy doze.

* * *

Levi was startled out of his doze by the sound of crunching leaves and breaking branches, so much so that he almost fell out of the tree he was cozied up in. Once he regained his balance, Levi looked out into the forest. At first, he didn’t see anything. It looked as dark and ominous as it did before. After his eyes adjusted, that’s when shapes and figures started to appear out of the gloom. Soldiers in forest green, carrying muskets and bayonets stalked through the trees, silent as the grave. One soldier in particular stood out from all the others.

“Simcoe,” Levi murmured to himself as they passed by his hideaway. He looked down at them, watching as they inched closer unsuspectingly to the Continental camp, and Hewlett. Levi looked back longingly into the depth of the dark forest, warring with himself before turning to look at the slowly disappearing Queen’s Rangers.

“Fuck,” He murmured, as he slowly hopped down from the tree. He slowly followed the men that were cloaked in darkness ahead of him, aiming directly for the last man, who lagged slightly behind the rest.

Levi sidled unsuspectingly up behind the man, and as quick and quietly as he could, slipped his arm around the man’s neck, placing his opposite hand on the man’s head and squeezed. And squeezed. And squeezed. The man didn’t yell. He didn’t scream. He just dropped his musket and started grabbing at Levi’s arm, and over his head where Levi was hanging loosely off his back. Slowly, the man dropped to his knees, then slumped to ground.

Looking up, the Queen’s Rangers didn’t even take notice of the man that lagged behind was now slumped lifelessly on the forest floor.

“Thank you, Caleb,” Levi mumbled. Releasing the soldier, he quietly picked up the musket, checked the primer and the hammer, seeing that it was loaded. He shouldered the flintlock and took aim at one of the soldiers that were getting further and further away. Squinting down the barrel, he squeezed the trigger.

With a loud bang, a flash, and a puff of smoke, the soldier dropped to the ground, at the same time that Levi shot backwards, landing hard on his rump in the dirt. It took several seconds for him to gain his wits, but by the time Levi tossed the gun aside and looked up, the Queen’s Rangers had all turned toward him with their muskets raised. With a curse, Levi scrambled to his feet, hands over his head as he took off running back in the direction of the Continental camp, the lesser of two evils.

As he ran, Levi could hear the bangs of the muskets and dull thuds of the bullets hitting the trees behind him. He leapt over logs, under tree branches, the bushes scratching at his skin, as he slipped and skid on the wet, snowy leaves of the forest floor. The Continental soldiers stood in frozen shock as Levi barreled through their camp, skidding past the tents and Hewlett’s wooden cell, then out of sight amongst the trees. They stared in the direction he disappeared in in confusion, only to be startled out of their shock as the Queen’s Rangers slid out of the trees, guns blazing.

And suddenly, everyone forgot about Levi. Almost instantaneously, the Continentals turned to face the Queen’s Rangers. Within seconds, the entire camp became a confusion of bright flashes, loud bangs, and smoke. Men were dropping like flies, with large red splotches blossoming across their chests and backs.

Levi picked his way through the chaos, unable to discern Continental from Queen’s Ranger. Turning the corner, he pulled to a sudden stop, nearly running smack into the back of a tall Queen’s Ranger. Before the soldier could take notice of him, he quickly slipped his knife out, and lunging onto the man’s back, jabbing the blade up under his jaw. Warm, sticky blood spilled over his hand as man dropped to the ground. Levi smoothly pulled the knife out, and wiped the blood off on his jacket. Nausea filled Levi’s stomach, which he willfully forced it aside. Looking around quickly, he plucked the hat off the man’s head and plopped it onto his own head. He tugged off the man’s oversized jacket, and tugged that on as well, then grabbed the man’s musket, the bayonet sticking out lethally from the end.

Peeking out from around the wall of a tent, Levi watched the massacre that unfolded before his eyes. Continental bodies littered the ground, the Queen’s Rangers far outnumbering them. They didn’t stand a chance. He could see a naked and abused Major Hewlett, skittering across the ground to the Captain’s tent, causing Levi to smirk. However, he was quickly distracted by a shout.

“Hey!” Spinning around, a Queen’s Ranger was lunging toward him, musket in hand, attempting to impale with his bayonet.

“Shite!” Levi cursed, jumping out of the way as it grazed his side. Blood immediately started to blossom in a pretty little line right where the bayonet cut through his shirt. Levi snapped his arm out, ramming the stock of the musket into the soldier’s gut. The man instantly doubled over, and swinging out, cut the tip of the bayonet across Levi’s chest. Levi snapped his arm out again, ramming the stock into the skull, the musket jerking up and cutting Levi’s bicep. The man crumpled to the ground, his eyes blank and blood seeping from his skull.

Bile rose in his throat as he stared down at the still body, Levi’s own body frozen. He was quickly distracted by the death of the last Continental. Looking out from behind the tent, dozens of Continental bodies littered the ground. However, one body was conspicuously missing. As the Queen’s Rangers started to regroup and count their dead, Levi knew he had to get out of there. Looking down at himself, he knew he was in trouble. Blood seeped from his side, from the long shallow cut across his chest and from the cut along his bicep. Keeping the camp on his left, he picked his way past the tents and back into the copse of trees.

Levi walked and walked until he couldn’t hear the Rangers anymore, and the adrenaline had drained from his body. With his legs wobbly and weak, he slumped against a tree and simply collapsed upon the ground. Pulling his legs up to his chest, he stuck his face in his knees and sobbed.


	8. Red String of Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Caleb find Levi at the Continental Camp, injured and tormented. They take him back to Valley Forge to be seen by a doctor, where Levi meets a life changing person.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a fan favorite chapter. There's some new and very important people. There is a featured cameo, see if you can spot it.   
> So read on! please KUDOS and COMMENT!!!!

__

_"An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place or circumstance. The thread my stretch or tangle, but will never break."_

Levi sobbed for a long time. He sobbed until his eyes ran dry and he was so emotionally and physically drained all he could do was sit in the dirt with his head in his knees. He could feel his blood dripping from the long, shallow cuts on his side, chest and arm, and his shoulder hurt something fierce from shooting the musket. His cheek throbbed from where the Lieutenant smacked him. He shivered slightly from the cold, his breath fogging up against his knees. Levi was really glad now he stole the Ranger’s jacket, if he hadn’t, he’d be frozen stiff by now. He could easily sleep for a week straight. As he let the heavy weight of exhaustion take over him for a moment, he heard the quiet sound of hooves.

Adrenaline zipped through him like a lightning bolt, and suddenly, he was wide awake. Levi bolted up, scrambling into a standing position, grabbing his musket off the ground as he did. Levi plastered himself against the tree, the musket pulled to chest, grimacing slightly as the movement pulled on the bleeding wounds.

He slowly peered around the trunk of the tree. Levi could make out two men on horses trotting through the trees. There was something eerily familiar about them. About the one man’s slick blue uniform and neatly braided hair. About the other man’s bushy beard, floppy brown hat and duster jacket.

“Benny! Caleb!” Levi exclaimed, his voice cracking sharply as a huge, elated grin spreading across his face while he ran as fast as his tired, pained body would allow, the musket dragging behind him. Ben and Caleb pull their horses to a sudden stop at the shout, their hands instinctively going to their weapons. Upon seeing a beaten and battered Levi limping his way towards them, relief instantly overtook the two men, before being replaced by concern.

Both men climbed down from their horses, just as Levi slammed into his big brother, getting blood over Ben’s pristine uniform. Tears of happiness ran down Levi’s face as he hugged his brother tightly. Ben hugged back just as hard, Levi grimacing in pain. Ben pulled back and took a good look at his little brother.

“Are you okay? What happened? Where’d these cuts come from?” Ben pulled out a handkerchief and pressed it gently against the shallow cut on Levi’s arm.

“Uhh—um, Rangers. Queen’s Rangers. The camp was attacked by Simcoe and the Queen’s Rangers,” Levi told them, his voice distant and distracted.

“Simcoe?” Caleb exclaimed, shocked at hearing that Simcoe was back in command.

“Take us to the camp,” Ben said, gestured in the direction of the camp. Levi nodded somberly, turning his back on them, starting off back towards the camp. Caleb exchanged concerned glances with Ben, before they grabbed the horses’ reins and followed Levi through the forest.

Before long, they were upon the Continental camp. The tents were ripped and flapping loudly in the wind. There was an eerily silence over the camp as Caleb and Ben walked further into the clearing, taking in the bloody, impaled bodies that littered the ground.

“You were in the middle of this?” Ben asked as he took a look around. His question was met with silence. Turning, he saw that Levi was staring down at a couple of bodies over by one of the farther tents. “Levi?”

Levi didn’t hear his brother at first. As they passed the first tent into the camp, Levi saw them. The bodies of the two men he killed. He remembered the warm, sticky blood gushing over his hand, and how the man dropped heavily to the earth like a sack of potatoes. He remembered pain of the bayonet slicing through his skin, and the crunching----

“Levi!” Levi was startled from his memories roughly by his brother’s hand coming to rest on his shoulder. Ben’s head came down to look at Levi in the eyes. “You okay, squirt?”

“Uh…Yeah…Yeah, I’m fine. What’d you ask?” Levi replied after a moment, his gaze going from the bloodied bodies on the ground, to Ben’s face.

“I asked if you were in the middle of all this? Did you witness this?” Ben repeated, looking at him worriedly.

“Uh…yeah. I managed to escape from the Lieutenant. But that night…um, that night the Queen’s Rangers came. Snuck up on the camp, outnumbered and overpowered the Continental soldiers two to one,” Levi told Ben slowly and detached, stumbling over his words slightly as Ben walked around the camp, viewing the carnage.

“These two soldiers? Did you kill them, squirt?” Caleb asked after inspecting the bodies by the tent that had Levi so worked up. Levi shifted his gaze from Ben a couple paces away to Caleb who was still next to him.

“…..Yeah, I did,” Levi answered simply, subdued. Without responding, Caleb simply pulled him into a hug, wrapping his arms tightly around Levi’s small shoulders and ignoring the blood that Levi was getting on Caleb’s shirt. Levi then felt himself being pulled from Caleb’s grip and pulled into Ben’s chest, with Ben’s lips being lightly pressed against the top of his head and Ben’s hand lightly ruffling the back of his hair.

“Come on,” Ben murmured as he guided Levi away from the tent and the bodies, while Caleb walked the perimeter of the camp, taking in the bodies and carnage. He comes to a stop by a freshly dug grave and wooden cross.

“Tallboy, come take a look at this,” he said, gesturing to the wooden cross. Ben hurried over, Levi right behind him. The crudely made, wooden cross had ‘here lies Maj Hewlett’ etched into the wood.

“Shite!” Ben cursed, turning away from the grave in anger.

“But he’s not dead,” Levi stated, his brows furrowed in confusion.

“What?” Both Ben and Caleb turned to look at him, equally as confused.

“What do you mean, his grave is right here?” Caleb asked, gesturing to the dirt grave.

“You really think either the Continentals or the Queen’s Rangers would take the time to dig a grave for him? They both hate his guts. The Continentals were actively trying to get him executed, and Simcoe didn’t like him any better,” Levi responded, looking at them over the mound of dirt.

“So where is he then?” Ben asked, slightly frustrated.

“That…I cannot tell you. Everything…it happened so fast, and all at once. Last I saw him…he was running out of his cell to the Lieutenant’s tent. Don’t know what happened to him after that, but his corpse wasn’t on the ground with everyone else when the Rangers’ won, so I assume he got away,” Levi told them, glancing between Ben and Caleb. Ben threw his hands up in exasperation.

“What do we do now? Without Hewlett and his word, Abe’s going to hang,” Ben inquired angrily. Levi’s eyes furrowed in confusion, his eyes flitting between Ben and Caleb quickly.

“Whoa, hold up. Hang? Why’s Abe going to hang?” Levi asked, eyes furrowed in confusion. What did Abe do now?

“He got himself captured in York City, for spying,” Caleb answered with a sigh.

“Of course he did,” Levi grumbled, rolling his eyes.

“Can we focus? We need a plan,” Ben interrupted, looking between Caleb and Levi. Caleb turned from Levi to face Ben full on.

“Three days.”

“What?” Ben responded, confused. Levi was equally as confused.

“It’ll take three days for news to reach the city. That gives me three whole days to get into the city, break Woody out, and haul his scrawny ass back,” Caleb explained, not taking his eyes off Ben’s back.

“It sounds like a solid plan, Benny,” Levi commented, from where he stood off to the side.

“Except that it took us three months to infiltrate a man onto the island in the first place!” Ben exclaimed, frustrated, turning around to face Caleb.

“Yeah, well that was your plan. This one’s mine,” Caleb stated firmly. Ben sighed heavily and ran a hand over his head.

“Ben, do you have a better plan?” Levi questioned, crossing his arms. “You gotta admit, Caleb gets shite done.” Ben sighed again.

“Yes, you’re right. Alright, fine,” Ben agreed, before turning to face Levi, “but first we’re going to get you looked at.” Levi groaned dramatically, as Ben grabbed him by the shoulders and started shuffling him towards the horses.

* * *

It wasn’t long into the ride that Levi fell into an uneasy and restless sleep, leaning heavily against Ben’s chest behind him with his head lolling against Ben’s bicep. As they neared the camp, Ben shook Levi awake.

“Huh? Wha?” Levi blinked his eyes blurrily, as he groggily took in his surroundings.

“We’re almost at camp, squirt,” Ben told him, his arms wrapping back around Levi to grab the reins. Levi nodded, sitting back to settle in for the rest of the ride when a thought occurred to him, causing him to sit up stick straight. Looking around, he eyed Caleb.

“Caleb, you got a handkerchief? Or a bandana?” Caleb’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“Yeah, here,” Caleb dug around in his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief, holding it out to Levi. Levi took it, then reached over and plucked Caleb’s hat off his head. “Hey!”

“I don’t want anyone in camp seeing my face,” Levi explained, as he plopped the oversized hat on his head, and tied the handkerchief around lower face.

“Smart,” Caleb grinned as Ben ruffled Levi’s hair.

It wasn’t long afterwards that Washington’s camp at Valley Forge came into view. The trees faded until they disappeared entirely, opening to a grassy field. The camp consisted of many rough, hastily built cabins, with tents and cookfires spread in between, and small stone house in the back serving as headquarters, the whole camp surrounded by interlocking wooden fencing and cannons.

Ben and Caleb trotted up the embankment, and past the wooden cabins and tents. Levi looked around curiously, at the soldiers chopping wood or socializing around the cook fires. The men were dirty and skinny, the snow more brown than white. They hitched their horses outside a tent connected to a covered caravan. Levi quickly followed Ben and hopped off the horse, his feet landing in the mud with a squelch. With a grimace, Levi turned around to readjust himself in his breeches.

“You okay there, squirt?” Ben commented, smirking as him and Caleb snickered slightly behind him.

“It’s nothing…it…was just…the saddle,” Levi grumbled, embarrassed, as he tried to adjust himself so no tent was visible in his breeches.

“Relax, kiddo,” Caleb replied with a smile, placing a reassuring hand on the boy’s shoulder. “It’s normal. Happened to both me and Benny Boy as well when we were young. Just means you’re becoming a man. Congrats.” Caleb clapped his shoulder in support, then entered the tent surrounding the caravan. Ben walked up next to him, ruffled his hair as Levi looked up at his brother.

“I’m a man?” He questioned with a smile, a smile nearly identical to the elder Tallmadge’s.

“Yeah, maybe. But you’re still a troublemaking little runt to me,” Ben responded, grinning, gently pulling his little brother under his arm, ever conscious of his cuts and bruises. Ben led him over to the covered caravan, Levi looking around curious.

“Neat place,” He commented, as he took in all the spy and tradecraft that was still on the desks.

“It used to belong to Nathaniel Sackett, but since he…well just us now,” Caleb told him, fidgeting awkwardly.

“Alrightie then. Caleb, you stay with Levi. I’m going to get the doctor,” Ben quickly changed the subject and strode out of the tent, the flaps noisy behind him and into the snowy camp. Levi tried to wait patiently, he did. But after only a few moments, he got up and started snooping. The table was covered with papers and maps, the desk covered with ink and quills. And a strange amount of eggs.

“Hey, Caleb,” Levi said curiously, as he peered out a break in tent to see Ben talking happily with a pretty, blond girl. “Who’s the pretty girl?” Caleb came out behind him, peered out over his shoulder into the camp. A smile spread over Caleb’s face.

“That’s not for me to tell, squirt,” Caleb grinned, clapping him on the shoulder before walking away.

“What? Hey!” Levi exclaimed, turning to face Caleb. “Who is she? Benny never smiles. With other people anyway.”

“When he wants you to know, he’ll tell you,” Caleb responded, as he leaned against the caravan. Levi plopped down on one of the steps of the caravan, beside Caleb.

“Since when have I ever waited for him to tell me something before finding out?” Levi glanced up at Caleb with a smug smirk. Their attentions were drawn away from the conversation by Ben blowing into the open tent, the flaps blustering behind him.

“The doctor will be here in a couple minutes.”

“So who’s the blond girl that makes you so happy?” Levi immediately asked. Ben simply blinked back at him, taken aback by the sudden question.

“Uuuuhhh…….That’s none of your business, Levi,” Ben answered haltingly, slight surprise coloring his tone. Levi was stopped from answering by an older, thin haired man entering the tent, carrying a medical bag and followed closely by a young girl with chestnut hair in a braid.

“Hello. I’m Dr. Harris. This is my daughter, Charlotte. Or Charlie,” The doctor told him as he set down his bag and opened it. Levi’s eyes glanced from the doctor, down to the girl. The doctor turned to Levi. “Alright, young man, shirt off. Let’s take a look.” Levi apprehensively glanced at Dr. Harris, then Charlie, before pulling his shirt over head to reveal the three long, slender slices slowly leaking blood and the huge black and blue bruise that spread over his shoulder.

“Oh dear, you got yourself into quite the mess, didn’t you?” the doctor commented, as he inspected the cuts. “May I ask how you got these?”

“You may not,” Levi answered brusquely, looking at Dr. Harris squarely in the face. Ben smacked Levi on the back of the head lightly. The doctor moved from the cuts to the massive bruise which he started to poke and prod.

“Hey! Watch it!” Levi shouted as he jerked away. Caleb struggled to hold back a smile. Dr. Harris looked up at Levi.

“Relax. I’m just seeing how bad the bruising is, how deep it goes,” He explained, continuing to poke, prod and press. After several moments, he stepped back. “The bruising is deep, down to the bone. I advise not using that shoulder for several days to avoid exacerbating the bruising. Charlie, if you will please clean and wrap the wounds, I’m going to go get a muscle relaxant for the young man.”

“Yes, Papa,” Charlie answered as the doctor left the tent. She dug around in the medical bag for a bottle of alcohol and a cloth. She took a seat in front of Levi, and after pouring some alcohol on the cloth, started dabbing at Levi’s cuts, none too gently.

“Ow! That hurts. Take it easy,” Levi complained, glancing down at his abdomen.

“Oh, quit being a baby,” She fired back, continuing with her work. Caleb and Ben glanced over at one another.

“Hey! I’m not a baby,” Levi grumbled as he fidgeted.

“Well then stop acting like it,” She told him, moving from the cut on his side to the cut on his chest. Suddenly she put more pressure on the cut, causing Levi to yell out in pain.

“Oi! That hurts!”

“Whoops, my hand slipped,” Charlie replied sweetly, a cheeky smile on her face. Levi narrowed his eyes down at her, as Caleb and Ben struggled to stifle their laughs.

“Geez, you’re kind of a bitch,” Levi murmured, quietly and mostly to himself. But not quietly enough. Charlie froze, her gaze slowly shifting from her work to Levi’s face.

“What. Did. You. Say.” Levi instantly froze as well, his eyes flicking from her, to his brother and Caleb to the camp and back, looking for an escape route. Caleb and Ben stood watching the exchange, and barely holding back smirks.

“Uhhhh….I….didn’t….I…said…nice stitchin’?” Levi stumbled and sputtered, avoiding all eye contact with her.

“Uh-huh, that’s what I thought,” Charlie responded, as she continued cleaning Levi’s cuts. They continued on in silence, Charlie being a little rougher than necessary, and the atmosphere within the tent was noticeably much more tense and awkward. Caleb and Ben simply glanced over at one another, smirking knowingly.

Charlie had just finished wrapping Levi’s open wounds with gauze when Dr. Harris returned with the muscle relaxant, handing it to Levi.

“You are to take one spoonful of this every evening, no more. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir. Thank you, for everything,” Levi answered, only to have Charlie scoff slightly behind him, causing Levi to narrow his eyes at her.

“Okay, now the real question, how to get you back to Setauket?” Ben asked, speaking up for the first time.

“Well I can take him,” Dr. Harris volunteered as he packed away his supplies. “Charlie and I have to pick up supplies in Oyster Bay, Setauket isn’t far.” Charlie and Levi immediately started objecting at the same time.

“Papa, no…”

“Dr. Harris, you don’t have to…”

“It’s settled then! Meet you out by the wagon.” And with that, Dr. Harris closely followed by Charlie, swept from the tent, leaving Levi overwhelmed by the sudden turn in events.


	9. Nostalgia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dr. Harris returns Levi back home, where Levi deals with the consequences of being held captive and the trauma he experienced first hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 9! Hope you enjoy it. Updates might take longer. I just applied for a job, finalizing an internship I need to get my minor which could lead into a job, and I just applied for a dog(a handsome Bluetick boy named Silas!) So I'll update when I can, but shit is crazy.   
> Anyway, Please KUDOS, BOOKMARK, and COMMENT

_“After a traumatic experience, the human system of self-preservation seems to go onto permanent alert, as if the danger might return at any moment.” ― Judith Lewis Herman_

Dr. Harris, Charlie, and Levi trundled along the bumpy, dirt road in a wagon laden with supplies. The tension between Charlie and Levi was palpable, strained and awkward. Levi actively avoided any sort of eye contact with both the Charlie and the doctor. As the small, sleepy town of Setauket came into view, Levi called for the doctor to stop the wagon.

“We’re still half a mile out,” Dr. Harris told him, as he pulled the wagon to a stop.

“It’s fine, I can walk the rest of the way,” Levi assured him as he hopped down from the wagon, landing in the road with a puff of dust.

“I must insist escorting you the rest of the way,” The doctor pressed, while Charlie sat there impatiently. Levi glanced over his shoulder at Setauket before turning back to face Dr. Harris and Charlie.

“Look, Dr. Harris, I appreciate the offer and I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. But I can’t risk the townspeople seeing you, getting suspicious and asking questions….I have a very delicate reputation that needs to stay intact,” Levi told him evasively.

“You can’t possibly be that special,” Charlie responded bluntly, causing Levi to glare up at her.

“Charlotte Marie!” Dr. Harris chastised. Charlie looked away guiltily, thoroughly reprimanded. Dr. Harris looked back down at Levi. “Does this have anything to do with the fact that Major Tallmadge refused to tell me your name?” Levi blinked up at him in sudden surprise. Count on Ben to take every precaution. With a shake of the head, he pulled himself together.

“Yeah…Yeah, it might have something to do with that. But that’s all you need to know,” Levi answered vaguely, narrowing his eyes at Charlie as she rolled her eyes. Dr. Harris shrugged.

“Alright, alright. I know where I’m not supposed to be. Just be careful, lad. I’d prefer if the Major didn’t bring you to see me again,” Dr. Harris told him, taking the reins back into his hands.

“Yes, sir. Hopefully next time we meet will be on more pleasurable terms. Miss,” Levi tipped his hat in Charlie’s direction, only to have her huff and turn her nose up at him as the doctor looked between them, knowingly. Chuckling, Levi turned and started jogging the last half mile to Setauket.

* * *

Ben and Caleb rode into the empty camp that was Morristown, trotting past the long dead fires and the large white colonial home that had served as headquarters. They trotted around back to the barn that housed Nathaniel Sackett’s spy shop. They hitched their horses and hopped down.

“I thought that Sackett moved all of his devices to Valley Forge,” Ben commented as they shoved open the barn door.

“Mostly did,” Caleb replied as they walked into the barn. “But not all his treasures could fit in his wagon. Including….” Going to the far back of the barn, Caleb pulled a tarp off a circular wooden object, with two large kegs hanging off the sides. “Our way into New York Harbor.”

“My God, is this….” Ben said breathlessly, looking from circular, barrel object to Caleb. It couldn’t possibly be what he thought it was.

“Yeah. Davey Bushnell’s underwater machine,” Caleb answered reverently, his eyes not straying from the wooden contraption. “The Turtle he calls it.”

“The Turtle,” Ben chuckled, as he walked up to the large cast and ran his hands over its wooden surface. “I knew Bushnell at Yale. I can’t recall much about the man other than stories that he exploded kegs of gunpowder on the Mill River.”

“Like the one you’re touching now?” Caleb smirked, causing Ben’s head to whip over to look at him, and his hand to retract from the keg as if stung. “Hundred-fifty pounds of powder fired by a gunlock. You see, you yank that there,” Caleb explained as he stepped forward and yanked lightly on a cord hanging from one of the kegs, “and then a watch work timer, it ignites the magazine. Then you got 10 minutes to row away before it goes boom.”

“My God,” Ben murmured to himself, as he stared up at the wooden kegs. It was ingenious. “I thought that Sackett wouldn’t let you touch this thing.”

“Let’s just say that I grew on the bastard,” Caleb smirked.

“I’m sure you did,” Ben chuckled, as he spun the metal propeller. Caleb grew on everyone, the fucking puppy dog. “How on earth do you navigate this while underwater?”

“Ah, Ben Franklin suggested to Sackett to coat the gauges with fox fire,” Caleb explained, as he walked over to a nearby table. “You know, from dead trees. So now the compass glows in the dark. And I’ll be damned, Benny, but it works.” Caleb raised a modified pistol to face level, and pressing a button, a blade flicked out.

“All right,” Ben said thoughtfully, nodding. He looked from the Turtle to Caleb and back. It could damn well work. “All right, well, I’m coming with you.” Caleb’s eyebrows furrowed, slightly confused.

“Sorry, but it’s a one-man craft,” he responded, as Ben looked up at the submersible, sorting through his thoughts. “Tight as a fish’s arsehole in there. You can ride along on the whaleboat if you like, as it tows me into harbor but once we get close----”

“Wait,” Ben turned sharply to face Caleb. “If there’s only room for one, then how the hell do you get Abe back?”

“I said it was my way into New York, Ben. Never said it was my way out,” Caleb stated like it was obvious.

“No, Caleb, I’m sorry,” Ben shook his head vehemently. “I can’t let you do this alone.”

“That’s all right, Benny, cause I ain’t asking your permission,” Caleb told him as he stepped up directly opposite to Ben. “Our little spy ring might be done for, but Squirt’s wounds have been doctored and he’s safe and sound in Setauket, and Abe is still alive. You know I’d do the same for you. So let’s get that bastard in the water.”

* * *

Levi sidled around the outskirts of Setauket. Once the Tallmadge saltbox home came into sight, Levi let out a sigh of relief, one he didn’t even know he had in him. It’d been so long since he was home, he was so different. He eagerly ran up to his childhood home, throwing open the firm wooden door.

“Zipporah!!” From the kitchen, he heard the sound of something breaking, which was quickly followed by Zipporah’s disheveled presence in the kitchen doorway, tear stains running down her face.

“Levi?” She breathes out, dropping the washcloth she was holding and rushing over to where Levi was standing, scooping him up in her arms.

“I thought you were never coming back!” she cried into his shoulder, as he awkwardly hugged her back.

“It’s okay, Zipporah. I’m fine. Nothing but some scratches and bruises,” Levi tried to placate her, as he leaned his head into her neck.

“When Major Hewlett returned, and you didn’t, I thought….I thought….” Tears streamed down Zipporah’s face with renewed vigor.

“Wait, Major Hewlett’s back?” Levi inquired, pulling back so he could look her in the face.

“Uh…yes. He returned several days ago. He’s been recovering at White Hall,” Zipporah explained, wiping the tears from her face.

“I need to see him. Make sure he’s okay,” Levi stated firmly, as he started to turn around to exit the house again.

“Whoa, Levi, hold up,” Zipporah said, reaching out and turning Levi to face her again. “When was the last time you slept? Or had something to eat?” Levi paused, thinking hard. It had been a long couple days…weeks…month. It all blurred together, honestly.

“I don’t know, a while ago…”

“Okay, then upstairs you get, young man,” Zipporah told him, giving Levi a slight push towards the stairs. “You get some rest, and I’ll bring you some food.”

“Alright,” Levi responded, not fighting her, and internally relieved. He was exhausted, and starving. Crawling into his bed and pulling the covers up to his chin, the last thing he saw before he fell asleep was a snarky young girl with a chestnut braid. 

After a nap and a hot meal shoved down his throat by Zipporah, Levi went back into Setauket and on his way to White Hall. He kept his head down and tried to avoid looking at the townspeople. Levi’s footsteps sped up as the white building came into view. Levi hurried up the steps and knocked on the front door, determinedly ignoring the British soldiers standing guard. He only had to wait a few moments before the door opened to reveal Aberdeen.

“Master Tallmadge! You’ve returned! We all thought the worst. I’m so glad to see you well,” Aberdeen exclaimed happily, holding the door open for him.

“Is Major Hewlett up for visitors?” Levi asked as he entered the foyer.

“Why yes. Mrs. Anna is upstairs with him now,” Aberdeen told him, shutting the door behind him.

“Thanks, Aberdeen,” Levi smiled, then took the stairs two at a time. He easily found his way to Hewlett’s room and quietly peeked around the doorway. Hewlett was sitting up in bed in his evening clothes, his powder wig on the vanity, his face tired and bruised. He was deep in conversation with Anna, who sat by his bedside. He stepped into the doorway and cleared his throat. Both Hewlett and Anna looked up in unison. Anna immediately let out a surprised gasp.

“Levi!” she bolted out of her chair and over to him, pulling him into a tight hug. “I thought you were gone. We thought you dead.” She peppered kisses all over his cheeks and the top of his head.

“I’m fine, Annie,” Levi reassured as he kindly pushed her away. “I just came to check on Major Hewlett,” Levi walked farther into the room, towards Hewlett. “How are you doing, Major?”

“I’m doing well. Mrs. Strong is taking care of me. How are you? Are you okay?” Hewlett responded, his eyebrows furrowing in concern.   
“Yes, sir. No worse for wear. Those soldiers couldn’t do me any damage. They were hardly a challenge,” Levi smiled in response.

“That’s good. I’m glad. Well, you take the next couple days to rest and recover,” Hewlett instructed.

“Thank you, sir. Well, I’ll let you rest. Annie,” Levi said, turning to Anna and giving her a hug.

“Take care of yourself, Levi,” She told him, hugging him back tightly and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

Saying goodbye to Aberdeen, he quickly left White Hall, the front door slamming behind. By the time he made his way back through town, the fact that he had returned had spread through Setauket like wildfire. The path back to the Tallmadge house was a path that Levi knew well and didn’t even need to think about. Before long, he had delved into the recesses of his own mind and thoughts, completely unaware of the environment around him. He only returned to reality when he felt someone grab his arm.

“Levi?” Levi instinctually spun around, his hand whipping out and grabbing said person, pinning them against the wall of a building while his other hand silently slipped his knife out, pressing it against the person’s cheek. It was only after a moment that Levi’s thoughts returned to reality and he was able to focus in on who the person was.

“Judy?” Judy’s eyes were wide with fear. Levi’s eyes flicked down to where his hand was wrapped around her neck and had her pressed against the wall, to his other hand where the knife blade was digging into her cheek, a slow trickle of blood running down her face. He stumbled back as horrific realization ran through him.

“….Levi?” Levi took several more steps back, as Judy tried to get closer, to reassure him.

“Just…stay away….Stay away from me, Judy.” With that, Levi turned and took off running. Back through town, back past the harbor, to the Tallmadge home. He ran through the front door with a loud bang, up the stairs, completely ignoring Zipporah’s shouts. He ran into his room, slamming the door behind him, then just stopped. The full realization of what happened hit him. He slumped down against the door, his knees against his chest, and sobbed.

Levi was allowed a few minutes of solitude before he was interrupted by a soft knocking on his bedroom door.

“Levi? Please let me in,” Zipporah asked quietly from the other side. Levi contemplated it a moment, before getting up and silently opening the door only to slide back down to the ground. Zipporah softly shut the door then slid down to the floor beside him.

“Do you want to tell me what happened?” She asked gently.

“Not particularly,” Levi responded, as he picked at the wooden floor boards, avoiding all eye contact with Zipporah. He couldn’t believe he did what he did. He didn’t even think about it. It just happened.

“It always helps to talk. I’m sure you’ll feel better,” Zipporah pressed from beside him.

“I don’t want to talk about it, Zipporah,” Levi stated firmly, wiping his face and still refusing to look at her. The two of them were interrupted by someone knocking on the front door. They were both silent a moment.

“You stay here, I’m going to see who that is,” Zipporah told him, patting his leg maternally as she got up, Levi instinctually flinching as she did. Zipporah paused slightly, glancing down at him in concern before leaving the bedroom to go answer the front door. After several minutes, Zipporah poked her head back into the bedroom.

“Levi, Captain Simcoe is here and would like to speak with you…privately,” she told him hesitantly. “Do you want me to tell him to go away?”

“No, I’ll speak with him,” Levi sighed, getting up heavily. Zipporah followed Levi downstairs, seeing an invisible weight sit heavily on the boy’s shoulders’. As they entered the parlor, Simcoe turned to face them from where he was standing by the fireplace.

“Thank you, Ms. Strong, you may leave now,” Simcoe ordered, clearly brokering no choice other than leaving.

“I’m not going anywhere!” Zipporah stated firmly, putting a hand on Levi’s shoulder. “If you want to speak with Levi, you’re going to have to do it with me here.”

“It’s fine, Zipporah, don’t worry about it. Go wait in the kitchen,” Levi cut in, glancing over his shoulder at her.

“Are you sure?” Zipporah asked hesitantly. Levi nodded, as Zipporah glanced nervously to Simcoe who had turned back to the fireplace. Zipporah walked slowly from the parlor as she glanced unsurely at Simcoe, Levi’s eyes not leaving her until she left the room.

“What do you want, Simcoe?” Levi asked tiredly. Seriously, he was too strung out for this man’s shit right now.

“You want to know something interesting, Mr. Tallmadge,” Simcoe responded, ignoring Levi’s question, still facing the fire.

Levi shrugged, “Do I have a choice?” Simcoe turned to face him.

“My regiment was over in Connecticut, sneaking up on a Continental camp, to rescue Major Hewlett when several of my men were killed. My men claimed they saw a small person, no larger than boy. Would you happen to know anything about that?”

“No idea. I was nowhere near there. Maybe it was a woman,” Levi responded, tired in mind and body. Why couldn’t Simcoe just leave so he could go to sleep?

“Are you insinuating my men were bested by a _woman_?” Simcoe questioned, his voice filled with barely contained rage. While staying outwardly impassive, Levi internally smiled at Simcoe’s anger.

“I wasn’t _insinuating_ anything. I was saying it. Either a woman or a 12 yr old boy, and neither one makes you look good,” Levi was full blown smirking now, despite the exhaustion in his bones. Simcoe shook with barely contained rage for several moments before stomping past Levi and out of the house. As the front door slammed shut, Levi let out a big, relieved belly laugh and flopped onto the couch.

A moment later, Zipporah entered the room, looking from front door to the space previously occupied by Captain Simcoe. Her eyes zipped down to Levi, who looked more relaxed than he did ten minutes ago.

“Is Captain Simcoe….gone?” She asked him unsurely, as she sat down next to him.

“Oh, yeah. Stomped outta here like a two-year-old having a tantrum, you should have seen him,” Levi laughed, leaning back on the couch. After the stress and tension of the last month, and his recent altercation with Judy, it was nice.

“What did you say to him?” Zipporah inquired, smiling slightly at him.

“Oh, nothing. Just letting him fall on his own sword,” Levi smiled tiredly over at her.

“Alright, young man, I’m glad you’re having fun but you need to get to bed,” Zipporah said, patting his leg lightly as she stood up. Levi groaned loudly. He didn’t want to sleep. Sleep wasn’t restful. Lately, he awoke the next morning more tired than when he went to bed.

“I don’t want to sleep, Zipporah. When I sleep…I see…bad stuff…” He trailed off, his gaze drifting to the floor, not wanting to talk about his routine nightmares.

“Levi, you look dead on your feet. You need to sleep. If you have a nightmare, you can always come and get me,” Zipporah told him kindly. She heard his nightmares during the night. He wasn’t exactly quiet. But he was also a pre-teen boy, full of pride. And their current living situation was…tentative. She didn’t want to make things awkward. Or more awkward than they already were. Levi sighed.

“Okay. But only cause I’m tired,” He acquiesced, standing up. He really was tired. Maybe no nightmares would come tonight.

“Of course,” Zipporah smiled as she watched Levi slowly go up the stairs to his bedroom, the exhaustion obvious in his movements.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title, Nostalgia, is the 18th century term for PTSD


	10. Friendships Live And Die

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie Harris reflects on her time with a certain sarcastic Tallmadge, Levi and Cicero find a suspiciously dead British soldier, and Levi might just lose his best friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO TERRIBLY SORRY!!! It's been so long since I updated and I'm sorry. But I started an internship I need for my minor, at a nonprofit called Altruistic Odyssey. They provide computer education to rural communities in Nepal, and I'm their social media coordinator. So in the past week, I've had like 15 hours of Zoom meetings, not counting classes, and its practically killed me. Zoom fatigue is real. 
> 
> So anyway, I hope you enjoy this! I really love this chapter. Personally, I just love writing Charlie. She's a very non-traditional female for the times, but she still fits in, somehow?? It works. So Please COMMENT, KUDOS, BOOKMARK.

## 

"Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art....It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival."--C.S. Lewis.

Charlie stood in the corner of the Medical Tent at Valley Forge, poking at the small fire in an attempt to heat up the large pot of water. She could see her Papa was on the opposite side of the tent, unloading the supplies from the wagon as the skies darkened behind him. They got back to camp later than they should have, because they had to take that insolent boy back to Setauket. Charlie poked at the fire a little harder, causing the sticks to spark, spit and crackle.

What Charlie wouldn’t have given to have been able to dump a whole bottle of alcohol all over that boy’s open wounds. As her thoughts drifted back to the boy, back to his wounds, his ocean blue eyes that blazed from his concealed face beneath the oversized hat, and lastly, to the boy’s chest. A blush immediately flared up the back of her neck and over her cheeks. _He was unusually built and fit for a boy…her age, at least_. The pot of water was finally boiling, so she picked up the dozen or so scalpels and other medical tools in front of her and dumped them in the boiling water.

She didn’t like him, she did not. She didn’t even know who he was, his name….what he looked like. _If only he would have removed that bandana so she could tell him her thoughts to his face._ He was just…so…obnoxious. Cocky. Glancing back up at her Papa, she saw him talking with Major Tallmadge. Charlie watched the two men momentarily before turning back to her pot full of disinfecting medical tools. 

“How's the disinfecting coming?” Charlie was startled slightly, as her father came up behind her, observing the medical tools in the pot.

“Good. The tools should be clean and disinfected soon,” she told him, poking the fire beneath pot slightly. “What did the Major want?”

“Oh, he just wanted to ensure that our patient had returned home safely,” Dr. Harris responded with a smile, pulling a scalpel out of the pot and checking the temperature of it. Charlie scoffed slightly.

“Couldn’t get rid of the git fast enough,” she grumbled, poking at the fire harder, her eyes not straying from the flames even the slightest. Her father glanced skeptically over at her.

“Is that so? Cause you seemed to take a liking to the boy. I know he did you,” Dr. Harris smiled knowingly at his daughter.

“Ugh! No way!” Charlie exclaimed, shaking her head vehemently as a hot red blush turned her face tomato red. Her father huffed in response.

“Well then, if we’re lucky, we won’t have to see the young man again,” he said, pulling the medical tools out of the water and starting to dry them off. For some reason, that didn’t make Charlie feel better. All it did was fill her stomach with lead.

* * *

Levi stood with his back flat against the door frame of the kitchen, Zipporah standing across from him with a sharp knife flat against the crown of his skull, scratching a line into the door frame. Once the line was cut deep enough into the wood, Levi stepped back to take a look.

“So how much? How much?” Levi asked excitedly. On the door frame was lots of little lines etched into the wood, some old and some new, all at varying heights with dates carved into them.

“In the month you were gone, it looks like you grew half an inch! You’re going to be almost as tall as your father by the time he returns,” Zipporah answered enthusiastically, etching the date into the frame just above the line she just carved.

“I just hope I’m taller than Ben,” Levi grinned. The look on Ben’s face when he comes home from the war only to find that his little brother isn’t so little anymore…ah, priceless. They were interrupted by a knock on the door. Upon opening the door, Levi was greeted by Cicero’s smiling face.

“Hi, Levi! I’m heading up the hill, you wanna come?” He asked excitedly. Levi answered by turning and shouting to Zipporah, “Zipporah! I’m going out! Be back later!”

Without waiting for an answer, he and Cicero ran out of the house, the front door snapping closed behind him. They jogged through Setauket, joking and laughing, and playfully shoving each other as they neared the grassy hill on the outskirts of town. As they crested the top of the hill, they spotted a white horse with an empty saddle grazing among the high grass, causing them to slow to a stop.

“That can’t be good,” Levi mumbled, glancing nervously over at Cicero who looked just as anxious as Levi felt. Walking up to the horse, Levi gave the gentle animal a comforting pat on the neck, looking around to see where the creature came from.

“Oh, shit,” he murmured, looking past the horse to the edge of the hill. Hanging from the gallows, swinging in the wind, was a British soldier. One of Major Hewlett’s soldiers.

“This is...bad,” Cicero said, coming to stand next to Levi, both of them just staring at the swinging, limp body. “We have to tell someone.” Levi spun to face Cicero.

“Anna and Hewlett should be at White Hall,” Levi told him. “Come on!”

Both boys turned and started running back down the hill. As they ran through town, they managed to attract a lot of attention from the townsfolk, who stopped in their daily chores to stare at the preacher’s kid, and a slave boy running flat out through the center of Setauket towards White Hall. They ignored the guards standing post on the stoop, and blew right through the front door into the main house. Richard’s head snapped up from his spot at his desk in the office, while Hewlett and Anna looked shocked as Levi skid to a halt at the end of the dining table, Cicero right behind him.

“Ensign Norwich, he’s dead!” Levi told them breathlessly, hands on his knees. Immediately, Hewlett bolted up from his chair, as Anna sat in frozen shock.

“Where?” Major Hewlett asked as he strode towards them, Richard coming up behind them from his office.

“At the gallows. His horse is there too,” Cicero explained, just as breathless as Levi.

“Mr. Tallmadge, if you can gather the men at the gallows. Cicero, please show me to Ensign Norwich,” Hewlett ordered, gesturing out the doors. Levi nodded and the last thing he heard as he bolted out the door was Anna saying, “I’m coming with you.”

Levi ran back through Setauket towards the church, his legs burning from the strain of his muscles, his breath coming in and out heavily. As he ran through the British camp surrounding the church, Levi beat loudly on the canvas covered tents, shouting.

“Wakey, wakey, eggs and bacey! Up and at ‘em.” The soldiers came crawling out of their tents, blurry eyed and groggy. “Come on, come on. One of your men needs you!”

“What are you yelling about?” One man squinted over at him sleepily.

“That. I’m yelling about that,” Levi answered, pointing in the direction of the gallows. In unison, the solders all looked in that direction, where Ensign Norwich was swinging in the wind below the gallows. Instantly, the soldiers started scrambling around as they pulled on their uniforms, their swords, their boots, and grabbed their muskets. As soon as the men were ready, they immediately marched across the long stretch of green grass towards the gallows, where Major Hewlett was arriving with Anna and Cicero.

By the time the British soldiers, and Anna, Levi and Cicero, had gathered beneath Ensign Norwich, it was clear that news of his death had already spread through their teeny-tiny town. Levi and Anna looked up in time to see Captain Simcoe and his squad of Queen’s Rangers marching across the grassy pasture.

“Aw, shite. Who invited him?” Levi groaned as he spotted Simcoe, strutting over with a tin mug of coffee in his hands. Simcoe and his men stopped beside Anna, Cicero and Levi.

“Good morning, Mrs. Strong. Well…maybe not so good,” Simcoe greeted, taking a sip of coffee and looking over at the man hanging from the gallows. One of the soldiers stepped forward and pulled a piece of paper from Ensign Norwich’s boot.

“Sir, it looks to be a suicide note,” the soldier informed Major Hewlett as he unfolded the piece of paper. The soldier walked over to Major Hewlett and Corporal Eastin, and showed them the note.

“Did anyone see Ensign Norwich last night?” Major Hewlett asked his men.

“I saw him at the tavern at suppertime, sir. He had sentry duty last night in front of the garrison,” the Corporal answered. Their eyes were still trained on the swinging body of Ensign Norwich.

“No one saw him saddle a horse, throw a rope over the gallows and attach himself to it, not 30 feet from where you lay snoring in your tents?” Hewlett asked, sarcasm lacing his tone.

“Not to mention, you didn’t notice when your sentry went missing?” Levi said from his spot next to Anna and Cicero.

“It was a dark knight, sir,” the soldier stated. Levi rolled his eyes. Really? That was his excuse? Dear Lord.

“A dark night breeds dark thoughts---,” Simcoe commented, taking a sip of coffee from his tin mug.

“Thank you, John Donne, for your input,” Levi interrupted sarcastically, crossing his arms. This guy and his flowery, poetic words…

“As I was saying,” Simcoe continued, ignoring him, simply raising his voice. “I recall the man always did suffer from a melancholic temperament.” Simcoe’s men started snickering at his words.

“You do not seem much surprised,” Major Hewlett commented, suspiciously as he glared across the field at Simcoe. “Or disturbed, for that matter.”

“Oh, but I am. Disturbed,” Simcoe replied in his annoying polite voice. “I just hope his despair isn’t contagious, there’s so few of you as it is.”

“I…don’t…think that’s how it works,” Levi interrupted slowly and thoughtfully. Simcoe was silent for a moment, his mouth quivering in anger before spinning furiously to face Levi.

“Look here, ya good for nothing runt,” He growled into Levi’s face. Levi did his best to keep his face impassive, but internally, he was shrinking away from the stale and unkempt breath. Almost immediately and simultaneously, both Major Hewlett and Anna interrupted Simcoe’s violent, verbal barrage, with Anna physically stepping in between Levi and Simcoe. Simcoe was stunned into silence, his mouth clamping shut and his teeth grinding together viciously. After composing himself, Simcoe turned to face Major Hewlett, his jaw clenched tightly.

“My Condolences, Major,” Simcoe replied coldly, then turned on his heel sharply and stalked away, his men following. The last thing Levi heard as he too walked away was the Ensign Norwich’s body fall to the ground with a heavy thump.

* * *

After the activity of the morning, Levi was happy to be back in the church with Major Hewlett, sorting letters. It was a nice semblance of normalcy that Levi, or Hewlett, hasn’t had is several months, just each of them at their separate desks doing their separate tasks. As Levi sifted and scanned through the letters, sorting them into different piles of varying importance, one particular letter made him freeze. A letter from one Major John Andre, the British Royal Army Head of Intelligence.

Levi read through the letter several times, his heart sinking as he was saddened further and further with every read through. Standing up while still rereading the letter, he strode over to where Major Hewlett was doing his own work silently.

“Um…Major Hewlett, you have a message. From Major John Andre,” Levi told him, holding out the letter. Hewlett’s head snapped up in surprise, reaching out and plucking the letter from Levi’s hands. His eyes quickly read through Andre’s letter, his brow furrowing and his mouth scowling the further and further down on the page his eyes got. Levi stood there, his feet shuffling and fingers fidgeting.

“He finally replies and it’s about a random slave boy,” Hewlett grumbled to himself, annoyed. Levi averted his gaze to the ground, fidgeting in place. This was his best friend Hewlett was talking about, after all. With a sigh, Hewlett folded the letter and stood up. “We best go inform Mrs. Strong.”

Levi followed Hewlett as they once again made their way back through town to White Hall. How many times was that now? They passed the DeJong’s Tavern, Dr. Mabbs’ former office, the harbor, and out the opposite side of town. With Setauket at their backs, White Hall quickly came into view. Passing the silent sentries, they strode right into house.

When entering the family room, Hewlett momentarily froze upon seeing Anna crouched on the ground, picking up several books that had fallen off the shelf. Levi rolled his eyes, smirking slightly, as Hewlett simply stared at her backside for several seconds before speaking up.

“Mrs. Strong? Might I have a word?” Hewlett asked, striding forward and completely ignoring Richard, who was attempting to read in the chair. “It regards a matter that concerns you.”

“Since it presumably does not concern me, I will find somewhere quieter to read,” Richard stated coldly, snapping his book closed and standing up. Hewlett stared after Richard in confusion as the magistrate exited the room.

“Geez, he’s got that stick shoved even farther up his ass than normal,” Levi commented, also staring after the man.

“Mr. Tallmadge!” Hewlett reprimanded quickly, before turning back to Anna. He crouched down next to her, to help pick up the fallen books, their hands brushing lightly. “Have I offended him in some way?”

“Not you, me,” Anna responded, as she retracted her hand, gathering the books. Levi awkwardly crouched down next to them, to help. “Richard has never gotten over the….enmity he bore my family.”

“That’s because he’s a dick. Pun intended,” Levi replied, setting one of the books on the shelf and standing. “I’d say its just you, but its not. Its everyone who doesn’t see the world as he does.”

“Some men…forget that the sins of the father shall not be visited upon his children,” Hewlett said, standing up with Anna. Levi took the pile of books from Anna’s arms and put them on the shelf. “Some men believe that their views and beliefs are the over riding ‘right’ beliefs. They forget that not everyone sees things as they do.

“Which reminds me,” Hewlett said, both him and Anna standing up at the same time, Anna turning to face him. “I have received another communication from Major Andre concerning your ward, Cicero.” He held out the letter for Anna. Levi simply stared at the ground gloomily as sadness seeped into him.

“Another gift from his mother?” Anna asked, taking the letter, and opening it up to read.

“No, he wants the boy to join them in New York when they return form Philadelphia,” Hewlett sighed, slightly exasperatedly. “I’ve written him repeatedly and all I receive in return is a letter concerning a slave boy.” Levi bit his lip hard, in order to keep his mouth shut. He wasn’t just a slave boy. His name was Cicero. And he was his friend.

Anna gasped as she read the letter, a hand going to her mouth and her eyes all teary. She was doing her best to hold back her tears, visibly all choked up.

“It will be wonderful for them to be reunited,” Anna told him, her voice tight and thick. Anna was right, but it didn’t make Levi any less happy about it.

“Yes, of course,” Hewlett breathed out, though clearly that was not the first thought to cross his mind. “Unfortunately, due to the present situation in town, I cannot spare any men to accompany the boy.”

“Does this situation have something to do with the suicide?” Anna asked, wiping the tears from her eyes. Levi scoffed loudly.

“Suicide, my ass,” He grumbled from behind Hewlett, loud enough that both Anna and Hewlett glanced over at him.

“Is he right? It wasn’t a suicide?” Anna asked, her eyes staring imploringly at Hewlett. Hewlett’s eyes slowly come up to meet hers in an angry glare.

“Simcoe,” Levi and Hewlett said at the same time. The two glanced at each other before Hewlett continued. “It was Simcoe. Apparently, he wasn’t content with engineering my capture and imprisonment.”

“Wait!” Levi cut in, turning to Hewlett. “He orchestrated our capture?” He thought back on the events that had occurred, and suddenly it was obvious. “Of course he did. Let’s not also forget the fact that he’s batshit crazy.”

“I knew it. I felt it. The way his men laughed,” Anna said, overwhelmed as she turned away from Hewlett and Levi.

“He seems to treat violence like a game. And now he’s trying to goad me into an opening,” Hewlett stated casually.

“If it is a game….maybe it’s one you can beat him at,” Anna said thoughtfully, turning slowly, the gears clearly working in her head.

“Oooo….what evil plan has that mind of yours devised?” Levi smiled cheekily, the sadness at the news getting pushed aside to make room for possible Simcoe tormenting.

“What if I could find a way to get Cicero safely to New York and also take one of Simcoe’s key players off the board?” Anna suggested.

“I’d say you’re a genius, Annie. You put me and Benny to shame,” Levi told her with an honest smile.

“A more earnest compliment has never been told,” Anna laughed. Hewlett rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he thought over her proposal.

“See what you can do,” He finally responded. “But alas, we must return to work. Thank you for making time to speak, Mrs. Strong.”

“Levi, if you can stay here,” Anna called him back, as he went to follow Hewlett out of the room. Hesitatingly slightly, he watched Hewlett leave before going back to Anna.

“I am so sorry, Levi. I know that Cicero is your friend,” Anna said softly.

“Why are you sorry? You’re right. It’ll be good for them to be together again,” Levi shrugged dejectedly, any joviality from before gone. “Anyway, nobody sticks around. Everyone always leaves. Cicero’s leaving. Eventually, you’ll leave. Major Hewlett will leave. Zipporah. Everyone.” Without waiting for a response, Levi turned and followed Hewlett out the door.


	11. Caught

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abraham returns from York City, Cicero gets the gift of a lifetime, Levi joins up with Major Hewlett on a night time meeting, and buffoons, Tanner and McInnis have more lucky finding spies in Setauket than they expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I'm BACK. I just finished the last chapter of this season, I'm EXCITED!!!! I really hope you enjoy this chapter, things are really heating up, we're starting to get into the climax of the story now. So fun stuff. Tell me what you think. Leave KUDOS, COMMENT. All the works. 
> 
> TW: there is some sexual assault stuff going on in this chapter and the next. Its pretty minor and tame. Not real detailed. And it doesn't last too long. You can totally just skip through.

_“To lose a friend is the greatest of all loses” – Syrus_

Rather than working, because Major Hewlett was too busy unconsciously flirting with Anna, Levi was lying on his stomach on the floor of Richard’s office across from little Thomas Woodhull, a bunch of little lead soldiers stretched out between them.

“Pow! Pow! Bang!” Levi moved his little soldier towards Thomas’s, making musket and gun noises with his mouth.

“Bang! BANG! You’re Dead!” Thomas exclaimed loudly, plowing his little toy soldier forward and slamming into Levi’s, knocking him down.

“Gaaa!!! You got me!!” Levi yelled dramatically, hand on his heart as he flopped over onto his back, his tongue lolling out as he dramatically ‘died’.

“Not you, silly! The soldier,” Thomas laughed his high pitched, happy child’s laugh. Levi opened his eyes and looked up.

“Oh…so he did.” Suddenly, Levi’s attention was drawn to the main foyer by the rapid clacking of shoes on the hard, wooden floor as Mary ran past closely followed by Anna, and Major Hewlett with Richard Woodhull bringing up the rear. Levi looked back at Thomas as he stood up.

“Come on, Lil man, I think your Papa might be home,” he told the boy, taking the boy’s small hand and leading him out onto the crowded stoop.

Peering over Major Hewlett’s shoulder, Levi saw Mary crying as she held her husband in a tight embrace. Levi crouched down so he was level with Thomas, still holding his hand with one hand while placing the other hand on Thomas’s back.

“Go say hi to your Papa, buddy,” he said, giving the boy a small nudge. Richard took the boy’s small hand and led him down the steep steps of the stoop. Thomas slowly toddled towards his father. Abe reached out longingly for his son.

“Say hi to your dad,” Abe whispered as the boy finally reached him. “Hi, Sprout.”

Abraham pulled the boy into a tight to his chest, tucking his head into Thomas’ shoulder. Mary rushed over and wrapped her arms around her boys, tears running down her face. Levi watched the small family reunion, yearning for his own father, his own brother, even his own mother that he never met….his own family that he has lost.

* * *

George Washington, Benjamin Tallmadge, William Bradford, Charles Lee, Alexander Hamilton, Tench Tilghman, and several other generals and Aide-de-Camps were crowded into Washington’s tent. They all surrounded a large table, a map covered with little red and blue blocks spread out between them.

“Colonel Bradford,” Washington started, drawing the attention of a younger, brunette soldier. “Brief the room on the outcome of your foraging expedition?” Bradford cleared his throat and straightened shoulders before speaking.

“Myself and General Wayne led our force across the Delaware River and into southern New Jersey, to forage for supplies and provisions,” Bradford briefed the room, moving one of the blue blocks across a blue line on the map. “Almost immediately, we had several thousand British soldiers on our tail. We were dogged all the way back to Pennsylvania, the determined bastards.”

“Language, Colonel!” Washington chastised harshly. “Gentlemen do not curse. At least in this army.” Ben had to stifle a laugh and hold back a smirk as he thought of his brother, his _12 year old, little brother_ , who cursed worse than any military man. Washington rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he stared at the map spread out before him.

“Do we have any notion of their current movements? Major Tallmadge?” Washington turned his eyes from the map to Ben. Ben glanced up at Washington as he too cleared his throat.

“Intel received informs us that another British force and Loyalist militiamen have started gathering troops and supplies to make another move on Jersey. Their exact purpose remains a mystery however,” Ben explained to the room at large, the generals, Commander-in-Chief and various Aide-de-Camps listening raptly.

“How long before Howe’s forces arrive in Jersey?” Washington asked Ben. Ben thought about it for several moments before answering.

“If they leave within the next two days, it could be four or five days from now.”

“Do we have any intel on if the local militia has established defensive positions?” Washington asked, not wanting the British to break through the lines and forage valuable supplies.

“As far as my intel provides, the local militia is unaware of Howe’s plans and have not started to establish or fortify defensive position,” Ben informed Washington, almost robotically. Washington stared thoughtfully down at the map before him, occasionally moving one of the red or blue blocks. Finally, Washington stood back, his hand retreating to sit comfortably on the sword at his hip. Everyone in the crowded, hot, uncomfortable tent were glued to the Commander-in-Chief with rapt attention.

“Colonel Bradford, General Lee, go to Salem County. Oversee them in the fortification of their defenses, and assist and lead them in the defense against Howe’s troops,” Washington ordered, not taking his eyes from the map.

“Yes, sir, Your Excellency,” Bradford replied, nodding stiffly as he stood up just a bit straighter, clearly proud to have been given command.

“Excellent. Everyone dismissed,” Washington ended with a wave of the hand, as he stepped closer to the table and the map. In a rush of movement, the Aides, generals, and other commanders rushed to exit the tent. As the flap fluttered closed behind Ben, only Washington and Billy Lee were left inside. Where the tent has been crowded and full of noise only several seconds earlier, now it was empty and silent.

* * *

Levi was cleaning up after dinner, putting the china and silverware away in the china cabinet as Zipporah washed the dirty dishes. Both Levi and Zipporah were interrupted by an excited knock at the door. Before Levi could even reach the door, the door was banging open and Cicero was eagerly running towards him, an ecstatic smile on his face.

“Levi! Levi! You’ll never guess what happened?” Levi had a clue, but he’ll humor the boy.

“What?”

“Major Andre in Philadelphia requested that I go there, to be with my mom! Jordan and I leave tomorrow!” Cicero was practically bouncing with excitement. Levi gave him a tight smile, and clapped him on the shoulder.

“That’s great, Cicero. I’m happy for you. You deserve it,” Levi responded, feigning delight to the best of his ability.

“Thanks. I have to get back to packing. But I wanted you to know,” Cicero told him, the smile not leaving his face.

“I’ll see you around, pal,” Levi told him sadly, clapping him once more on the shoulder.

“See ya,” Cicero sent Levi one last grin, then turn on his heel and ran back out of the door. Levi stood there, all alone in the empty, silent dining room, looking back at the spot where Cicero at been a moment before.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Levi jumped at Zipporah’s voice, spinning around to face her. She stood in the doorway of the kitchen, a drying rag in her hand and concern etched in every line of her face.

“No,” Levi stated shortly, turning his back on her and walking brusquely out of the room. Zipporah sighed sadly as she heard him slam his bedroom door upstairs, turning her own back on the empty dining room as she returned to her work.

* * *

The sun was disappearing below the horizon, painting the skies a beautiful array of pinks, oranges and purples as Major Edmund Hewlett made his way through the quiet town of Setauket. Edmund really didn’t want to do this, he really didn’t. He did not want to drag the boy into the mess between him and Simcoe, but he really needed a neutral third party as a witness to the meeting. Or at least, someone more neutral than his men.

As he left the main buildings of Setauket behind him, the quaint, little saltbox belonging to the Tallmadge’s came into view. Trotting up the steps, the Major paused on the stoop and took a deep breath. He really did not want to do this. The young man deserved rest, deserved a break. But Major Hewlett needed him for this. With a slow exhale, Edmund knocked on the smooth, wooden door.

Edmund waited patiently on the cold stoop, listening to the scuffling and thumping behind the door as someone moved about. Suddenly, a light appeared in the window beside the door, brightening the pitch black stoop. Edmund was startled as the front door burst open, Zipporah Strong standing in the entryway with a lantern held high in her hand, a surprised look on her face.

“Major? To what do I owe the pleasure?” Zipporah inquired sweetly, trying to wipe the shock and surprise from both her face and her voice.

“Good evening, Ms. Strong. I am truly sorry to intrude upon you, but I was hoping I might be able to borrow the young Mr. Tallmadge for a spell,” Major Hewlett answered, his hands fidgeting behind him.

“May I ask what the errand is?” Zipporah asked, her eyes narrowing slightly and not moving from the doorway. Hewlett shuffled his feet nervously under Zipporah’s incriminating gaze.

“I just have a meeting, that I really need a witness for,” Hewlett explained earnestly.

“Can’t you get one of your soldiers? Levi is a 12 year old boy, he needs to be in bed,” Zipporah replied sternly, in a way only mothers can. Reminded of his own mother, even Hewlett cowered slightly under Zipporah’s intense gaze.

“I just need someone more trustworthy, more reliable. Someone less rash. Please, Ms. Strong,” Hewlett explained, his eyes pleading with her. Zipporah stared him down a moment longer, before stepping back and opening the door wider, allowing him to pass.

“Fine. He’s upstairs in his bedroom. First door on your left,” She told him, somewhat stiffly.

“Thank you, Ms. Strong, Thank you,” Major Hewlett replied earnestly as he passed by her.

“There’s nothing I can do if Levi refuses you,” Zipporah stated as she shut the door behind them and set the lantern she was holding down beside the door.

“I understand, Ms. Strong,” Hewlett nodded, before ascending the staircase. He followed Zipporah’s directions, climbing the wooden stairs to the second, and hesitantly approaching the strangely imposing, closed, oak door. With deep, bracing breath, Hewlett reached out to knock lightly on the door. Who knew a 12-year-old boy could be such an imposing and threatening figure?

“Go Away, Zipporah! I don’t want to talk,” A muffled voice yelled from within.

“Um…No, Mr. Tallmadge. It’s me, Major Hewlett,” Hewlett spoke loudly into the wooden door, feeling ridiculous. He took a startled step back as he heard a sudden thump, and several quick steps, the bedroom door being pulled open to reveal the slightly disheveled boy.

“Major Hewlett? What are you doing here?” Levi questioned, surprised by Hewlett’s appearance at his bedroom door.

“I have a…request of you,” Hewlett stated haltingly, as Levi turned around, picked up a bocce ball and hopped back up on his bed.

“Do you, now?” Levi replied, nonchalantly, as he sprawled out on top of the duvet, tossing the ball in the air and catching it.

“Yes. Mr. Tallmadge, I have a meeting tonight, and I would like you to come with me as a witness,” Hewlett told him, stepping into the room, closer to Levi.

“Why can’t Eastin or one of your other soldiers go with you?” Levi asked, glanced over at Hewlett as he tossed the ball into the air again.

“Because…I trust you, Levi,” Hewlett told him earnestly, causing Levi to pause and look over at him. “I trust you, and I know you won’t make rash decisions, not without some ulterior motive or plan. Even if you do talk yourself into a corner sometimes,” Hewlett smiled gently at him. “I don’t always have that trust and certainty with my own soldiers.” Levi was silent for several moments as he thought over what the Major said, simply tossing the bocce ball above his head and catching it. Finally, he paused and turned to look over at Hewlett.

“Who are you meeting with?”

“What?” Hewlett wasn’t expecting that question. Possibly a thousand others out of the boy, but not that one.

“Who are you meeting with?” Levi went back to tossing his ball as he waited for an answer. It took several moments before Hewlett had regained himself enough to respond.

“Captain Simcoe. I’m meeting Captain Simcoe,” Hewlett answered. Levi stopped what he was doing, and looked over at Hewlett. Simcoe…the devil himself.

“Okay, count me in,” Levi responded, setting down the ball and sitting up, devilish grin on his face.

* * *

Darkness had completely fallen by the time Major Hewlett and Levi had entered the shadowy forest on the edge of Setauket. They picked their way through the trees, lantern in hand, toward the clearing where Captain Simcoe and Akinbode were talking quietly together.

“You’re late,” Simcoe commented, upon seeing Hewlett. Silently and without speaking, Hewlett and Simcoe stepped up so they were facing one another.

Each man raised their arms, pistols pointed at one another. Their pistols pointed at each other’s faces for several silent moments, before releasing the stock of the flintlock. Without taking their eyes of their rival, Simcoe handed his pistol over to Akinbode, and Hewlett handed his pistol over to Levi.

“I’m curious as to why you requested this parley,” Simcoe stated as both him and Hewlett walked off into the dark forest, side by side, Akinbode and Levi striding silently behind them. Levi glanced apprehensively over at the intimidating freedman beside him.

“I would think it’d be obvious,” Hewlett replied casually. “Nothing good can come from two British parties spilling blood further. Plus we have larger concerns. Mr. Tallmadge, the letter.” Levi dug around in his pocket for the letter Hewlett had given him to hold. Pulling out the letter with fancy calligraphy, he handed it over the letter to Hewlett’s outstretched arm. Taking the letter, Hewlett handed the letter over to Simcoe.

“Larger concerns?” Simcoe inquired as he ripped opened the letter.

“General Howe is making a move on Jersey. He has requested the Queen’s Rangers and a squad of British Regulars meet them there,” Hewlett explained, as they continued to walk through the forest while Simcoe read the letter.

“Why would Howe possibly need the British Regulars, when the Queen’s Rangers are going?”

“I am not thrilled with the orders either, Captain Simcoe. I don’t need you getting my men killed, but neither of us have a choice in the matter,” Hewlett replied stoically.

“And I don’t need to babysit a bunch of half trained, toy soldiers, but here we are,” Simcoe stated back. Hewlett stopped and turned to face Simcoe.

“Captain Simcoe, if you get my men killed, I will make sure you never work in any faction of the military ever again,” Hewlett threatened, his face impassive.

“This is war, Major Hewlett, men will die,” Simcoe answered simply. Levi could see where this was going. Half of Hewlett’s forces going to Jersey with the Queen’s Rangers, and only the Rangers returning. Oh…Levi was going to regret this…

“I’ll go with Wakefield,” Levi blurted out. Immediately, both Simcoe and Hewlett’s head both snapped to look back at Levi.

“What do you mean, Mr. Tallmadge?” Major Hewlett questioned, his face stern.

“Clearly, you don’t trust him to take your men to Jersey. Understandable, I wouldn’t either,” Levi said, as Simcoe’s jaw clenched and his fist tightened. “So I’ll go, as a valet of sorts, and make sure your men aren’t put at risk from him. Keep tabs on him.” Major Hewlett paused, thinking over Levi’s suggestion.

“I don’t know about this, Levi,” Hewlett responded, clearly reluctant.

“Of course not! He’s a child!” Simcoe exclaimed, looking from Hewlett to Levi and back, his face getting redder and redder by the second. Levi rounded on Simcoe.

“A child who has one upped your ass on numerous occasions, so I’d shut my gob if I were you,” Levi replied, only causing Simcoe to get even more mad. Honestly, maybe he shouldn’t go, he couldn’t be in Simcoe’s vicinity without antagonizing the man. Hewlett mulled over Levi’s argument, reluctant and hesitant. Finally, the Major turned to Levi.

“Can you make it back? Will you be alright?” He asked, concerned, as Simcoe scoffed behind him.

“Simcoe isn’t right very often, Major Hewlett, but he is right about one thing. This is war.”

* * *

MacInnis and Tanner crept through the dark as they stalked after the Woodhull boy, but as the night got darker, and shadows got longer, it got more and more difficult to follow his trail. Somewhere amongst the many homes, shops, taverns, and alleyways, MacInnis and Tanner had lost track of the suspicious farmer.

“Shite! We lost him! The Captain will kill us if we don’t find him,” Tanner grumbled, as he skulked through an alley. MacInnis’s narrowed eyes scanned through the darkness, over the buildings and past the shadows, finally landing on the small figure on the far end of town.

“Maybe we don’t have to. He can,” He pointed to the boy in the distance, oblivious to the men skulking around in the darkness. Tanner looked from the boy over to his partner, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“Hewlett’s lap dog? How could he help?” Tanner questioned, turning to look at MacInnis.

“That’s the Tallmadge boy. Brother of Benjamin Tallmadge, and friends with the Strongs’, Brewsters’, and Woodhulls’. I’d bet anything that boy knows _exactly_ where Woodhull is,” MacInnis told him with certainty. Tanner shot MacInnis a grin as they started to skulk through the dark shadows towards the unsuspecting boy.

* * *

Levi walked through the silent, dark town back home. Setauket was so quiet, he could hear the wind whistle and gravel crunch beneath his feet. He froze when he suddenly felt the cold metal of the barrel of a pistol pressed against the back of his neck.

“Don’t move,” an accented voice said behind him.

“No, I was going to start dancing a jig,” Levi replied sarcastically, as he raised his hands, nonconfrontationally. “No shite, ‘Don’t move.’” The man grabbed Levi’s shoulder and spun him around so he was facing the two relatively unremarkable Queen’s Rangers. Levi eyed them up and down real quick, taking in their thin frames and average statures.

“You’re the Tallmadge boy, right? Hewlett’s lapdog?” The man asked him, a Scottish accent framing every word, and he shoved his pistol into Levi’s chest. Levi’s face scrunched up slightly.

“Lapdog? I wouldn’t say that…” He grumbled dejectedly. The other man impatiently shoved the man with the pistol out of the way, causing Levi to glance nervously down at the flintlock in the man’s hand.

“We don’t have time for this, MacInnis,” the man growled at ‘MacInnis.’ Then he rounded on Levi. “Where is Woodhull?”

“Abraham Woodhull? I don’t know!” Levi answered, his voice cracking at the end. The man named MacInnis roughly pushed his partner out of the way, and shoved the pistol beneath Levi’s jaw, causing Levi’s eyes to flick apprehensively down at the barrel.

“Tanner and I _know_ you’re in contact with your brother, and we _know_ you’re friends with the Woodhulls’. So tell us where Abraham Woodhull is,” MacInnis threatened, pressing the barrel even deeper into Levi’s skin, sure to leave a bruise. Finally, fearing accidental discharge, Levi broke.

“Okay! Okay! I know where he _MIGHT_ be. I can take you there,” Levi exclaimed loudly, his voice squeaking loudly. MacInnis, who was clearly the leader, grabbed him by the shoulder and spun Levi around so he was facing out of town, pressing the pistol in between his shoulder blades.

“Lead the way, runt,” he growled, giving him a small jerk.

“Ya know, this might go more smoothly if you asked nicely. Like ‘Can you please take me to Abraham Woodhull?’ Something like that,” Levi responded, glancing over his shoulder at the Queen’s Rangers.

“Just shut up,” Tanner snarled, shoving Levi roughly so he stumbled slightly.

“Okay, okay. Geez, just making a suggestion,” Levi said, as he straightened back up and led them out of town towards the burned ruins of the Woodhull farmstead.

They trekked slowly down the dirt and gravel paths until the shops and taverns disappeared and all that was left was open fields and a dirt track. They walked in tense silence, a pistol shoved roughly into Levi’s shoulders blades and the two hardened soldiers behind him. Within minutes, they could see the outlines of the ruined Woodhull home.

“Are we almost there?” MacInnis asked brusquely, giving Levi’s shoulder a rough shake.

“Yeah, yeah, we’re close,” Levi answered, being intentionally loud as he round the homestead to where light peaked out of the cracks of the cellar doors. “Or I could just give you directions?”

“Don’t even dream of it,” MacInnis grumbled, giving Levi a hard poke with the barrel of the gun.

“Why are we stopping?” Tanner growled harshly, as Levi stopped, hesitating before crouching down to open the cellar doors.

“Do you want me to take you to Abraham Woodhull or not?” He practically yelled, yanking open the doors so they slammed against the ground. Light spilled from the cellar, and Levi could hear lots of scrambling from the back as someone tried to hide something as quickly as possible. Levi slowly and loudly descended the cellar steps, more and more of the dirt dug room coming into view. Upon reaching the bottom, they didn’t find what they thought they’d find.

There wasn’t a plethora of spycraft, or hidden codes, or incriminating messages. There wasn’t maps of British fortifications, or troops numbers, or weapons depots. There wasn’t a stash of confiscated weapons, or bomb making materials. Instead, Anna sat on the desk with her head thrown back wildly, her dress hiked up her hip, the laces of her dress and chemise loosen. Abe was shoved between her legs, his hand shoved down the top of her dress to cup at her breast, his face shoved blindly in the crook of her shoulder and neck.

“Is this what Simcoe was after? To catch Abe cheating on his wife? God, he really needs some hobbies,” Levi questioned the Queen’s Rangers, glancing back them. Both Abe and Anna feigned a startled gasp, jumping back from one another, fake surprise on their faces.

“Get dressed, both of yas’,” MacInnis growled, gesturing at the couple. “Tanner, pat them down.”

“With pleasure,” he grinned viciously. As he walked over to Abe, and started a quick pat down, over the legs, and the torso, and the arms, Levi inconspicuously shuffled over to the desk where Abe’s knife was laying and slowly slipped it up his sleeve.

“Now, if you don’t need me anymore…”Levi said, starting for the stairs.

“Not so fast, ya runt!” MacInnis snarled, grabbing the back of his neck and pulling him close, shoving the pistol into his side.

“Okay, staying. Got it.” At this point, Tanner had moved onto Anna. He pat down her legs, groped her buttocks tightly as he moved up, pat down her arms and torso, pulling her tight against his body and groping her stomach. Tanner than moved his hands up to her breasts, groping and kneading them roughly, before freezing. His face hardened as he shoved his hand down her chemise, and pulled out a piece of paper.

“What’s this, missy?” he hissed, holding the paper out to MacInnis, who yanked it from Tanner’s hand. MacInnis quickly unfolded it, scanning down the page, his eyes getting narrower and narrower.

“They’re spies!” He yelled, his head jerking up to look back and forth from Abe and Anna.

“What? And you never told me? I’m hurt,” Levi gasped dramatically from his spot beside MacInnis, both Anna and Abe rolling their eyes at him.

“Shut up, you,” Tanner snapped, before turning his focus back to Abe and Anna. He roughly pulled Anna’s head back, holding her tight against him, Abe watching from his place wedged against the desk.

“All this time, Simcoe has us running all over Long Island, looking for traitors, and they’re right here, under our noses!” MacInnis shouted angrily, as he rounded on Abe. “Who are you taking this to? Who’s your contact?” Anna and Abe adamantly kept their mouths shut, even as MacInnis got angrier and angrier.

“Who’s your rendezvous?” He questioned vehemently, his face turning red. When no one responded, he jerked his pistol to the cellar door and yelled, “That’s it, up the stairs. All of you. Take us to your contact. Take us to your rendezvous.”

Tanner and MacInnis shuttled Abe, Anna and Levi silently and tensely out of the small root cellar and out into the dark night, two pistols pressed into their backs.


End file.
